RICKY HATTON believes Tyson Fury’s potential unification showdown with Anthony Joshua ‘could be doomed’ after the latest delay.
The Gyspy King was due to face AJ for all the belts before Deontay Wilder won an appeal to get his trilogy fight with the Brit.
Fury’s camp last week said the star had caught coronavirus, leading to his July 24 fight with Deontay Wilder being pushed back to October 9.
The 32-year-old has not fought since his seventh-round KO of American Wilder in February of last year – something rival Dillian Whyte has slammed him for.
Now Hatton, who has been in the WBC champion’s corner several times previously, has voiced his concern over whether Fury can compete to the best of his ability when the Joshua fight comes to fruition – if it even happens.
‘The Hitman’ wrote in his Metro column: “What puts a further damper on it for me is the fight we all want, Fury vs Anthony Joshua, now seems further away than ever.
“What happens now? It all just pushes the fight further back. As a fight fan, you fear the worst, the biggest fight in British boxing history, is it actually going to happen? It just seems we are doomed.
“Tyson’s problems in the past with his depression, his mental health and battles with drink and drugs have been well documented in the past.
“I remember Tyson saying to me ages ago: ‘I want a couple of warm-up fights then I want to beat Wilder. Then immediately after that, I want to fight AJ. And then I’m done.’
“Anthony Joshua is younger, he has less miles on the clock, he is an athlete 24-7. I know Tyson is an athlete 24-7 now but the damage he might have done to his body years back.
“Tyson wants to get in, get out and prove he is the best fighter in the world. And the more it goes on, the more I worry that Tyson might just go: ‘F**k it’.”
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Hatton added: “When you think about it, Tyson had two comeback fights, he went straight in against Wilder and went straight in for the rematch.
“He wants to get his career and his legacy done and dusted.
“Whereas for AJ, the younger, fresher of the two, it doesn’t matter as much if this drags out another two or three years. It does for Tyson. The longer this drags out the better this is for AJ.”
