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Joe Joyces WBA Title Bid Thwarted as Murat Gassiev Faces New Challenger
Joyce had emerged as a possible replacement after Tony Yoka withdrew from his scheduled challenge because of a back injury. With Joyce already on the same IBA Pro 19 card, many viewed him as the logical choice to step in and challenge Gassiev for the heavyweight title.
Instead, the opportunity has gone to the unbeaten but largely untested Kadiru, whose résumé lacks the kind of notable victories Joyce has accumulated during his career.
For Joyce, the decision is a difficult setback. At 40 years old, time is no longer on his side, and chances to fight for a world championship are becoming increasingly scarce. Even though he has lost four of his last five bouts, Joyce had remained in the mix for the Gassiev fight after Yoka withdrew, giving him what may have been his final realistic path to a heavyweight world title.
Rather than challenging for the championship, Joyce will stay on the undercard against unbeaten Russian Artem Suslenkov in a high-risk fight that offers little reward. A victory is unlikely to move him straight back into world title contention, while another defeat could effectively end any remaining hopes of competing for a major belt.
The timing makes the disappointment even greater. The heavyweight division has recently undergone significant changes after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBA, WBC and IBF titles. Gassiev was elevated from WBA “regular” champion to full champion, opening the door for a first title defense that briefly looked like it could fall to Joyce. Instead, that opportunity belongs to Kadiru.
It is a bitter pill to swallow for Joyce. After waiting in the wings for the call, he has been overlooked in favor of a challenger with a far lower profile and no signature wins. Unless another unexpected opportunity emerges, Joyce may have seen his last realistic chance to fight for a heavyweight world title slip away.
“This is for you. We also have Joshua and Tyson Fury this year. We don’t choose the place until now,” said Alalshikh.
“I tell you from the beginning. It depends about England. Give us all what we need. We want the fight here in England, but we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America.
“If they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England. Now it’s about the time and the viewership. Yes, and the subscribers. We talk to the mayors and Prince Abdullah will try to help and the taxi of London will push.”
Alalshikh’s latest comments suggest the negotiations have shifted away from finding a stadium and toward solving the logistical challenge of television scheduling.
A traditional evening start at Wembley would air in the afternoon across much of the United States, while a later start would place the main event in a far more valuable American prime-time window. With the fight expected to attract one of the largest global audiences in boxing, maximizing international viewership has become a central part of the discussions.
Turki Alshikh has said he would like Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury to take place at Wembley IF the timing works! ⌚ pic.twitter.com/vulS8HP6xt
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) July 6, 2026
Alalshikh also revealed that talks are planned with London officials as his team works to secure the necessary approvals.
Before any deal can be finalized, both heavyweights have business to take care of. Joshua returns against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25, while Fury meets veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24. Victories for both would clear the path for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown later this year.
The Hall of Famer says Ortiz should let Jaron Ennis and Sebastian Fundora fight first before pursuing the winner
Roy Jones Jr. believes Virgil Ortiz Jr. should resist calls for an immediate fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Instead, the Hall of Famer says Ortiz can earn more money and improve his title path by allowing Ennis and Sebastian Fundora to meet first.
“If you let Boots and Fundora fight each other, you ain’t got to beat both of them. Now you just got to beat one,” Jones said on All The Smoke Fight.
“If you go beat Boots now, you still got to fight Fundora after. So you double working yourself, but you’re gonna get less money out of it in the long run.”
Jones believes Ortiz should instead wait to see the outcome of the scheduled junior middleweight clash between Errol Spence Jr. and Tim Tszyu later this month.
“The biggest fight right now for that division is Errol Spence if he beats Tszyu versus Virgil Ortiz in Dallas,” Jones said.
“You make way more money doing that first than you do going and fighting Boots. If you’re smart, you make that dream fight happen first. Then you go ahead and take the winner out of Boots and Fundora.”
Jones also stressed that his advice was about maximizing Ortiz’s career rather than avoiding a dangerous opponent.
“That’s not ducking,” Jones said. “That’s just taking fights a smart way.”
Ennis has already expressed interest in facing Fundora in a three-belt unification bout following his victory over Zayas, while Ortiz has continued to be linked with both champions as the junior middleweight division moves closer to a series of major fights.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/07 at 2:06 AM
Joshua says Fury’s tune-up fights are irrelevant because he believes his own preparation will be enough to win their long-awaited heavyweight showdown
Anthony Joshua says he has seen enough of Tyson Fury to believe he can beat his longtime rival whenever they finally meet. The former heavyweight champion insists his confidence comes from his own preparation, not from studying Fury’s recent performances.
“I can see ways to beat Fury. I’m not banking on Fury, whether he’s going to be the best or his worst for me to win,” Joshua told DAZN. “I’m just confident in myself that I can beat him either way.”
Joshua also dismissed the importance of Fury’s remaining tune-up fights, saying his focus is entirely on what he brings into the ring.
“I just know with the work that I’m doing, I’ll beat Fury. I’m not worrying about his performance at Tottenham, how many warm-up fights he has or how good he’s looking. I’m just confident in me turning up, being the man across the ring, and doing exactly what I know I’m going to do to him.”
Joshua returns against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25, one day after Fury takes on Mariusz Wach in Thailand. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has repeatedly said he expects Joshua and Fury to meet later this year, provided both come through their interim bouts.
Joshua was ringside for Fury’s unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, choosing to study the performance rather than join Fury for a post-fight face-off in the ring.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/07 at 2:05 AM
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