Tyson Fury wants the President of the United States in his ringwalk. Fury told the BBC he plans to invite Donald Trump to lead him out when he fights Anthony Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
“I’ll definitely make that offer to my old buddy, old pal, and we’ll see if he’s available,” Fury said.
Then, to his credit, he handicapped his own idea like a guy who has read a schedule before. “Probably unlikely because of the situation he’s in at the moment, being the President of the United States.”
The two have history, if a recent one. Fury met Trump at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in June, after his travel ban to the United States was lifted. The Irish Mirror reported that Fury credits Trump with getting that ban lifted, running the story under a headline that ties it to Daniel Kinahan links.
Joshua first, Usyk on the brain
The Joshua fight is the all-British heavyweight showdown people spent most of a decade asking for, and Fury is talking about it like a tune-up. He called it a “warm-up for Usyk” and said he has “no intention” of retiring afterward.
“This is a bum to me and I can guarantee that on the night, when I knock him spark out, he won’t know what time it is. And then I want the rabbit [Usyk] in New York City,” Fury said.
That’s a lot of words spent on a man who isn’t on the card. Oleksandr Usyk handed Fury both of his professional losses across their two fights in 2024, and the Ukrainian is still unbeaten through 25 pro fights. Fury clearly hasn’t let that go, and New York City is where he wants the third one.
Fury, 38, is also selling his activity level. He said this year will be his busiest since 2018, pointing to 12 rounds with the 6-foot-8 Arslanbek Makhmudov and seven with Mariusz Wach, whom he called a 6-foot-7 “behemoth.”
“Let’s not pull any punches here. I’m firing on all cylinders at the moment. I feel fantastic. I’m 38 years young,” he said.
Quick take
Trump isn’t walking anybody to a ring in Wales eight days before... well, any day, really, and Fury knows it, which is why he said so himself in the same breath. The invite is a headline, and Fury has always been very good at headlines. The part worth paying attention to is calling Joshua a bum while booking his next fight out loud. That’s either total confidence or the kind of looking past an opponent that heavyweights pay for with one punch. We find out at the Principality Stadium on December 11.
