Tyson Fury claims Daniel Dubois' defeat of Anthony Joshua has cost him £150 million

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Lancashire based boxer Tyson Fury has claimed Daniel Dubois' defeat of Anthony Joshua over the weekend has cost him a staggering £150 million!

British boxer Daniel Dubois made a sensational first defence of his IBF world heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout of fellow Brit Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

In the crowd was the former heavy heavywight world Tyson Fury, 36 from Morecambe and his 25-year-old brother Tommy Fury - who was actually booed by the crowd when he appeared on the big screen.

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The crowd quickly changed their tune when the picture switched to Tyson, who was seen laughing wildly as his brother’s boos became applause for himself.

The father of seven wasn’t full of glee all night however as speaking ringside shortly after Joshua’s defeat, Tyson said: “Listen, that's cost me £150million”.

His comment is a reference to the plans by Saudi Arabia's boxing kingmakers to fund two clashes between Fury and Joshua next year, one in Riyadh and one in London .

There was another hurdle in Fury's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, but it was hoped Fury would win to set up the eagerly-awaited all-British showdowns for 2025.

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Tyson Fury in the stands at Wembley Stadium for the Dubois v Joshua fight. Credit: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.Tyson Fury in the stands at Wembley Stadium for the Dubois v Joshua fight. Credit: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.
Tyson Fury in the stands at Wembley Stadium for the Dubois v Joshua fight. Credit: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire. | PA

Is a Fury v Joshua bout now off the table?

PA sport journalist Duncan Bech says that if Fury loses the Usyk fight then Joshua and Fury could still meet but with neither athlete thereby at their peak, it is a less appealing prospect.

Joshua has declared he will fight on despite being dismantled by Dubois, but having been accustomed to headlining it is hard to see where he fits into the division now.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua has one more fight contracted to the Saudis, so he could be back in action early next year even if a rematch against Dubois is an unlikely prospect given the nature of the defeat.

What could happen instead?

All eyes are on Fury's Christmas collision with Usyk, the dominant heavyweight who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO belts and was undisputed champion until vacating the IBF title in June.

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Once the outcome of that is known, the landscape for 2025 will become clearer with Dubois waiting in the wings to mount his own challenge to become the division's ruler.

Dubois was well beaten by Usyk a year ago, but three wins later he looks far more dangerous says sports journalist Bech.

What does the future hold for heavyweight boxing?

Bech states that the fascinating 12 months ahead will take place amid the reality that Joshua (34), Fury (36) and Usyk (37) are in the twilight of their careers and may have only a handful of fights left between them.

It has been an entertaining period in heavyweight history, but Dubois' coming of age performance at Wembley has eased concerns over the division's medium-term health.

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New Zealender Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang from China are fringe contenders who generate interest amongst fans, while 19-year-old knockout specialist Moses Itauma is coming up hard on the rails as a British prospect with serious potential.

But the sport on these shores has undoubtedly lost something with Joshua's defeat given he was its standard bearer with the pulling power to sell out stadiums.

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