Tyson Fury is already looking past Anthony Joshua toward a trilogy bout with Oleksandr Usyk. He treats their December 11 Cardiff clash like tune-up work for a champion who already beat him twice.
That gives Joshua a golden opportunity to wreck everything. A loss completely ruins any market for another Usyk meeting, especially after Fury spent weeks dismissing Joshua as light work.
“I don’t have any intention of retiring after Joshua. I’m using this bum as a warm-up for Usyk,” Fury told Sky Sports.
Fury wants the Usyk trilogy in New York. He also points to his activity this year, including fights with Arslanbek Makhmudov and Mariusz Wach, as evidence that he will enter the Joshua bout ready.
Staying active helps Fury shake off ring rust, but Joshua brings threats none of those recent opponents offered. Joshua carries genuine power. Fury cannot afford to look past him or script future dates while dodging heavy artillery. A single defensive lapse ends all talk of a third Usyk clash instantly.
Joshua hits hard enough to test whether Fury still has elite reflexes over 12 rounds. Usyk is an entirely different animal. He relies on rapid footwork, awkward southpaw angles, non-stop punching. Fury could beat Joshua easily, but that does not solve the tactical problems that cost him against Usyk twice.
Winning in Cardiff gives Fury a huge name to brag about. It proves nothing about how a third fight with Usyk would turn out.
Fury’s trash talk is pure fight promotion. He degrades Joshua to sell the Cardiff gate while teasing an even bigger event down the line. His bravado sells tickets, but talk alone proves nothing about the reality inside his training camp.
If Fury wins, he could try to sell a big victory, but Usyk still holds two decisions over him. The champion would need serious motivation to face a boxer he conquered twice.