Boxing
Belts or bragging rights? Why titles may favour Fury over Joshua pursuit
Ultimate Tier: PPVs & 185 fight nights included
Tyson Fury knows what he wants. At the very least, he is offering a fine approximation of a man who knows what he wants.
'The Gypsy King' has fish to fry first, Arslanbek Makhmudov to serve up battered on a stadium-sized plate with mushy peas.
But once the napkins have been folded away at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the dessert cart will surely be rolled out for him.
For months now - years, to be truthful - Fury has wanted the classic of jelly and ice cream; a dance with Anthony Joshua .
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His return to the ring after almost a year-and-a-half out of action indeed appears primarily motivated by such a singular hope.
Joshua, for his part, has long sought to court the interest of his rival too, for the status of Britain's finest heavyweight hero.
Yet the world they populate now sits in stark difference - and for all his insistence, Fury may ultimately fancy a different taste.
Might the allure of some sugar-bronzed apple crumble with custard catch his eye? Might the jam roly-poly move his plight?
Could it be, as he mounts what may be his final comeback, the dream of a third world-title reign prove too much to resist?
Do the belts appeal to Fury?
A man of many contradictions, Fury has long been prone to switching tracks at the drop of the hat, ever the mercurial dancer.
But a recurring beat in his media interviews since reversing his retirement has been the claim he has "completed boxing".
On the level of pure statistics, it is difficult to argue. Though never undisputed champion, Fury has held all four major belts.
His position as the heavyweight of the decade is arguably exceeded only by Oleksandr Usyk, the one man he failed to best.
DAZNEven then, losing a pair of taut bouts to a two-weight freak-of-nature like the Ukrainian isn't exactly a black mark on the record.
Still, Fury felt he won both of those encounters - and in the wake of their first bout, was determined to reclaim champion status.
The better part of two years has unfolded since that night in Riyadh. Has the hunger to reach the summit once more faded?
The answer is likely no. At Thuesday's press conference, the star alluded to that too, calling out title-holders past and present.
He may have completed boxing, to use his words - but Fury surely remains interested in another tilt at champion status too.
Does Fury want Joshua more?
Even in a crowded heavyweight division, powerbrokers could surely find a shot for 'The Gypsy King' if it us what he truly wants.
But ultimately, no bout in the world would seemingly bring Fury more satisfaction - and more finance - than a Joshua encounter.
The pair have been entwined together since the former's darkest days, in the wake of his seismic victory over Wladimir Klitschko.
It was Joshua who took on the mantle of Britain's premier heavyweight and dethroned Klitschko again as Fury faced his demons.
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For years, they have been linked to a clash, have taken plenty of shots at each other across press conferences and play-by-plays.
Ultimately, it has never materialised, and Fury appeared to be the man who put it to bed for good when he retired back in 2025.
His return was, by his own admission, motivated by Joshua on multiple fronts, the desire to face him but to also seize the day too.
The latter's involvement in a fatal car accident last December has reframed much of their rivalry, reshaped the cut of the narrative.
In a sense, it has perhaps given both men the impetus to get this deal done, to ensure they step into the ring before 2026 is out.
Is Joshua the right move for Fury?
Ultimately, this is the big one, and one that carries enough variables that cannot be answered alone by Fury's test on Saturday.
There is little doubt that a Fury-Joshua fight would be among the biggest heavyweight bouts of the past decade, hands down.
Even with no silverware on the line, the general anticipation for this clash conjures memories of the Mayweather-Pacquiao wait.
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That bout didn't quite fire the way that it could have done, and there is the undoubted risk that, past their prime, this is the same.
Yet still, the sheer sense of theatre that each man brings to the ring as heavyweight superstars makes it appointment viewing.
For Fury however, there remains plenty in play that might tip his hand in a different direction, that might switch his mood around.
One is Makhmudov. The Canada-based star has been cherry-picked as a specific tune-up opponent designed for deep waters.
Should he cause more havoc for Fury than expected, then 'The Gypsy King' has matters to consider in regards to his own powers.
The other is Joshua's own docket. The star last fought a lopsided knockabout with Jake Paul, ending his own lengthy inactivity too.
That, in theory, was his own tune-up. Then his world was turned upside down, and matters were tabled for another place and time.
Talks on Wednesday suggested that the pair may be headed for Croke Park in September, but only if Joshua passes on a tune-up.
Right now, it seems unlikely 'AJ' will want to eschew that element, which means the race is on for him, or the race is off for Fury.
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Should Joshua be unable to meet any deadline for his rival's ambitions, then the latter will be left to canvas his options again.
By then, Fabio Wardley will have fought Daniel Dubois for the WBO crown. Usyk will have met with Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.
The titles may well have been splintered. Agit Kabayel, Murat Gassiev, Moses Itauma - all may have their eyes on the prizes.
Fury would not find it hard to enter the mix, providing he dispatches Makhmudov here. It may prove too difficult to resist him.
His comments on Thursday suggest he would be more than happy to pusue them, or Wardley, or Dubois, or an Usyk trilogy.
In an ideal world, the Briton would take more than one pudding from that fish-and-chip cart. Ultimately though, he will have a choice to make.
For Joshua's sake, let it be hoped that Fury wants jelly and ice cream - and that he doesn't mind waiting a little bit longer too.
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
