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Fury, Joshua and Wilder return; what’s next for the glamor division?

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2 weeks ago

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On Saturday in London, Tyson Fury retired once again and defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision. Fury was so slippery, lively and agile that Makhmudov got stuck in the mud for long stretches of the fight.

Fury looked much better than expected considering his time away from the ring. Makhmudov, however, was not in the same class as Oleksandr Usyk, the only fighter to beat Fury. After Fury’s win, former champion Deontay Wilder’s entertaining if sloppy decision over Derek Chisora ​​on April 4, and former unification champion Anthony Joshua’s potential return from his car crash in December, it’s starting to look like these three could collide.

Fury and Wilder fought each other three times in an epic trilogy that set the heavyweight division on fire. But that’s all we got from these three players in top form. And now, many years later, there is a glimmer of hope that another one of these hypothetical fights will happen.

The question is which one.

After his victory over Makhmudov, Fury called on Joshua to finally meet him later this year.

“Then I want to give [the fans] the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua,” Fury said during his post-fight interview, pointing to Joshua at ringside. “Let’s give the fight fans what they want. The Battle of Britain. And here’s my challenge: I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King. Do you accept my challenge?”

Joshua decided to block Fury.

“I sat at that table with him many times,” Joshua said in his post-match interview. “Deep in my heart I will fight Tyson Fury tomorrow, especially after watching it [this fight]. It’s okay that I fight. This is what I do.

“I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yes, I’m going to fight him’. I’m not here to gain strength. I’m here to fight. The contracts will be sent. We’ll go through the smallest details and probably, more than that, you’ll probably see us in the ring next. But I’m not here to start getting in the ring and screaming in someone’s face. If you look at my track record, I’ve never done that. I’m not here to have influence.”

Fury and Joshua have held negotiations numerous times over the years and came close to an agreement in 2021, but the fight never materialized. Joshua is well aware of Fury’s games and refused to agree to the former champion’s demands in the name of entertainment.

“Look, he’s the one who retired,” Joshua said. “I was in the game. I never retired. I’ve been forceful for the last 13 years. It’s his fault, right? He disappears, he comes back, he disappears, he comes back. I’m forceful.”

While a fight between the two seems more likely than ever, there is still a distinct possibility that Joshua goes in a different direction and brings in another heavyweight he was once rumored to fight: Wilder.

A week ago, Wilder didn’t seem to be at Fury’s level, and his clock is ticking much faster than Fury’s. If Joshua is looking at a high-profile adjustment fight, Wilder makes a lot of sense. However, Wilder remains risky enough to raise the level of intrigue in the highly anticipated fight.

But Joshua (36) holds all the cards here. Both Wilder, 40, and Fury, 37, will have to wait their turn in what can now be called the “older” level of the heavyweight division.

The best option for the trio of former world champions is to finally face each other while the rest of the division moves on. It is unlikely that any of these three will fight juvenile, rising fighters Moses Itauma, Richard Torrez Jr. or Fabio Wardley. All three would love a piece of division king Oleksandr Usyk, but the unified champion has beaten Fury and Joshua twice each.

At this point, there is no reason for these three to fight anyone but each other. They are still the biggest names in the league and stand to make the most money. This is their best chance to win fights instead of taking risks against younger, powerful but less popular heavyweights. Any combination of fights – brief of Fury vs. Wilder – would be massive in Britain, where Fury and Joshua are from, and could fill a football stadium. All three of them know this, but rest assured, hubris is at play and may ruin your plans… again.

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David Benavidez Says One Man ‘Must Face Him’ After Zurdo Ramirez: ‘I’m Taking All His Belts’

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April 23, 2026

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David Benavidez says one man “must face him” after Zurdo Ramirez: “I’m taking all his belts”

David Benavidez will fight for Gilberto Ramirez’s unified cruiserweight crown this weekend and if he passes this test, there will only be one person in the “Mexican Monster”.

Benavidez has established himself as one of the most fan-friendly fighters in sports, not only thanks to his fascinating fighting style, but also thanks to his mentality that allows him to face all opponents and take on the toughest challenges.

Reigning at both super middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, the reigning WBC 175-pound champion now moves up to cruiserweight, hoping to hand “Zurdo” Ramirez his second career defeat in what will be the titleholder’s 50th career appearance.

The only other man to defeat Ramirez is unified light heavyweight ruler Dmitry Bivoland v interview with Ariel HelwaniBenavidez made it clear that he intended to return to lightweight heavyweight and then face the Russian.

“I don’t want it to look like he’s scared or nothing, but he knows what it’s like when it comes to David Benavidez. He saw me up close and I saw him up close too.

“He’s a great fighter, we had some great sparring sessions, but he knows I’m not coming to play. He knows that when David Benavidez steps into the ring, all those belts go with David Benavidez.

“I think he knows the dangers and seriousness of this fight and that’s why he took the preparatory fight first. I respect Dmitry Bivol, he’s a great fighter, but he will definitely have to come to me after this fight.”

While Benavidez will fight next weekend, Bivol will make a mandatory defense of his titles against German Michael Eifert on Saturday, May 23, which will be his first fight on home soil since 2021.

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Mauricio Sulaimán calls Crawford’s retirement cowardly

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3 hours ago

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April 23, 2026

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Image: Does a Canelo-Crawford Rematch Benefit Anyone Besides Their Bank Accounts?

Terence Crawford left boxing undefeated with little to prove, and yet Mauricio Sulaimán reignited an senior feud, describing the former champion’s retirement as “cowardly” in an interview this week.

“Fight in September for the world title. He has many options: Benavidez, Charlo, a rematch with Crawford, who cowardly retired, Bivol and Beterbiev. He is in a position where he can choose,” WBC president Sulaiman told Tiempo Extra.

This seems like a more personal than professional paperwork dispute. Sulaimán’s “cowardly” comment is clearly payback for the bridge Crawford burned on his way out.


When Crawford defeated Canelo in September 2025, he effectively retired as “King of the Hill” and then told the Neighborhood Association (WBC) that their membership dues were a scam.

During his Instagram Live tirade, Crawford refused to pay and devalued the entire existence of the WBC. Calling the eminent green belt a “trophy” that “doesn’t mean shit” is a direct attack on Sulaimán’s legacy and the prestige he strives to maintain for the WBC.

The WBC says it lowered its usual 3% commission to 0.6% ($300,000) to be “fair” and Crawford still hasn’t moved on it. By paying the other three organizations (WBA, IBF, WBO) but freezing the WBC, Crawford singled them out as the only organization he felt was not worth his money.

Crawford clearly stated that The Ring belt is a “real belt” because it is free. This is a nightmare for sanctioning bodies because it encourages other stars to realize that they don’t actually need pricey “alphabet” titles from sanctioning bodies to be considered the best.

Calling a 42-0 fighter who has just been promoted and trained by Canelo a “coward” is objectively absurd in a boxing sense. However, in Sulaimán’s language, “cowardly” likely refers to Crawford’s refusal to “stand and fight” in the boardroom.

By retiring, Crawford prevented the WBC from receiving the $300,000 he already owed them for the belt. Additionally, his retirement meant future billing for the massive Crawford vs. Benavidez or Crawford vs. Bivol.

It also prevented the WBC from formally stripping him as a punishment while he was still energetic.

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Categories Quick Strikes, Terence Crawford

Last updated: 23/04/2026 at 12:28

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Deontay Wilder may miss the fight he wants next due to a change in heavyweight plans

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5 hours ago

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April 23, 2026

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Deontay Wilder set to miss out on the fight he wants next as heavyweight plans shift

Deontay Wilder is unlikely to secure his preferred fight after taking a split decision to fellow veteran Derek Chisora ​​earlier this month.

The two faced off in a messy battle at London’s O2 Arena, with Wilder scoring two knockdowns en route to his 12-round victory.

The 40-year-old had previously recorded just one victory, a seventh-round finish over little-known heavyweight Tyrrell Herndon, following consecutive defeats to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.

These two flaws emerged in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and reinforced the growing belief that the “Bronze Bomber” was on the brink of retirement.

However, Wilder has since insisted he wants to stay in the sport, particularly to secure a long-discussed clash with Anthony Joshua, who recently told the Briton to “sit down or shut up”.

The pair have been on a collision course for a century since they held all four major heavyweight titles between them.

While both fighters would likely like to fight without a title later this year, Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn expressed a slightly different desire.

I’m talking to talkSPORTJoshua’s longtime promoter has mentioned a potential appearance this summer ahead of what he hopes will be a November fight with Tyson Fury.

“If we were promoting this event [this summer]that’s exactly what I would do [making the Wilder fight].

“But this is the deal that we made with Fury against AJ as the pinnacle of that deal. There will be a lot of people who won’t want to take a fight that they think will be risky and bet on it. [the Fury fight in] danger.

“The reality is this [that] all fights are risky, especially in this division. We have no problem with fighting Wilder. [But] I don’t think it’s Wilder [on] basis of this agreement.”

This deal includes two fights with Turki Alalshikh, which will allow Joshua to enter the ring before his fight with Fury in overdue 2026.

Such an agreement would mean he would fight for the first time since then in December in the sixth round against Jake Paulwhich was preceded by a tragic car accident that killed two of his close friends.

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