Tyson Fury Seeks New Opponent as Joshua Talks Stall

Tyson Fury has gone public in his hunt for a new opponent. Team Oleksandr Usyk has wasted no time slamming the door.

With talks for a long-awaited all-British showdown between Fury and Anthony Joshua stuck in a row over venue, the WBC heavyweight star took to social media on Monday to declare he was moving on and wanted a familiar face: Usyk, the man who beat him twice in 2024 to become undisputed champion.

The response from Ukraine was blunt.

“Usyk is not Tyson's backup plan”

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin made it clear Fury will not be able to use the former undisputed king as a convenient escape route while the Joshua negotiations drag on.

"Usyk is not Tyson's backup plan," Lapin said, drawing a firm line under any suggestion that the 39-year-old might be waiting in the wings.

"If Fury needs an opponent, he should visit the Ready to Fight platform. They can help him find a worthy opponent there.

"Oleksandr is always open to big challenges. But serious intentions are backed by a concrete offer, not statements in the press."

No teasing. No flirting with the idea. Lapin’s message was simple: bring a contract, not a camera.

Fury calls out Usyk as Joshua talks stall

Behind the scenes, both Fury and Joshua have already signed individual contracts for what was pencilled in as a November blockbuster. The problem is where to stage it.

Speculation has swirled around New York City as a possible host, while Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has been adamant he wants the fight in London. Fury, never shy of turning negotiations into theatre, has accused Joshua of trying to wriggle away from a clash more than a decade in the making.

So, Fury changed the script.

"This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk," he said in a video posted on Instagram, shifting the spotlight back onto the man who twice outpointed him.

Addressing Usyk directly, Fury added: "Oleksandr you're his [Joshua's] trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded... and that he would never fight the Gypsy King which you have had the guts to do twice.

"You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court... do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits?

"Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent."

It was classic Fury: part provocation, part praise, all designed to generate noise while the Joshua deal splutters.

Usyk’s next move: Wilder, not Fury?

Usyk publicly vacated the three heavyweight belts he still held in June, but he was adamant he was not retiring. The Ukrainian, who boasts a perfect 25-0 professional record, has instead been linked with a clash against Deontay Wilder as the next chapter of his career.

At the same time, his relationship with Joshua has taken an unusual turn. After beating the Briton in back-to-back fights in 2021 and 2022, Usyk has since become part of Joshua’s training setup over the last year, offering guidance to the man he once dethroned.

That twist only adds more intrigue to Fury’s latest call-out. The Gypsy King is effectively asking Joshua’s former tormentor and current mentor to step away from the corner and back into the opposite corner.

For now, Lapin’s stance suggests Usyk will not be rushed into saving Fury from a stalled negotiation. The Ukrainian wants contracts, not clips. Fury wants a dance partner. Joshua wants London. The promoters want a stadium and a date.

Something has to give. The question is whether it will be a venue, an ego, or an entire fight.