Anthony Joshua's call-out to Tyson Fury falls flat as rival breaks silence

Tyson Fury has seemingly ignored Anthony Joshua's mocking call-out.

Fury and Joshua have long been at loggerheads but have failed to negotiate a fight in the ring. Neither man has fought this year with Fury announcing his retirement following his second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk - only to predictably reverse his decision weeks later.

Joshua, meanwhile, was last in action 12 months ago when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley. He rejected the chance of an immediate rematch and went on to have elbow surgery before making a recent return to training with a view to fighting again early in 2026.

But the former world champion issued a surprising call-out of Fury on Tuesday, hours after Joseph Parker had faced off with Fabio Wardley ahead of their October 25 clash in London. "I can't lie, I'm proud of Joseph Parker," Joshua wrote on social media. "Even though he is a competitor, real recognises real.

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"He's in the game to fight whoever, whenever and that's the DNA of a real general. Unlike his dippy mate Tyson Fury. I would dissect his career/record in minutes but I'll leave that for a potential Gloves Are Off if he ever comes back and fights Big Femi.

"Fabio Wardley, respect to you as well. Bro was working in recruitment helping your dad get a job a couple of years ago. Let that be a testament to God rooting in one's favour and a statement to show, nothing is impossible (if you can have a scrap haha).

"To my supporters, I'll be back to lace up my boots and put on my gloves sooner than later, hopefully punching Fury's head in and dancing around his flicker jab with ease."

Fury is also expected to return next year after he has completed his filming commitments with Netflix. But he has so far declined to respond to Joshua's call-out, opting instead to take to social media to repost a message from Top Tank host Crystina Poncher and one showing a new trading card.

Last year, Fury insisted a fight with Joshua will always be on the table. “Joshua knows he's getting it. Even if we're 50 years old he's got to fight me," he said. "There's no escaping it, he cannot escape me. Even if we are 50, we're still going to sell out Wembley. That is a fact, anybody they can all get it."