Fury dismisses match with Joshua as contract deadline expires
Tyson Fury poses before the WBO Interim World Heavyweight Title match at AO Arena, Manchester, Britain, Sept. 24, 2022 (Reuters Photo)


Tyson Fury has ruled out fighting fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua after his self-imposed deadline expired.

Fury sent Joshua’s camp an ultimatum on Friday night, insisting he would walk away from the long-anticipated fight if a deal could not be done by Monday.

In a video posted on Instagram, the WBC champion said: "Well guys, it’s official. D-day has come and gone. It’s gone past 5 o’clock, Monday. No contract has been signed.

"It’s officially over for Joshua. He is now out in the cold with the wolfpack."

Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, had already said there was "no chance" of contracts being signed by Monday, while Joshua said on Sunday that the negotiations were down to his lawyers.

Joshua had verbally accepted Fury’s offer of a 60-40 purse split in favor of Fury.

The unbeaten Fury's last fight was in April when he knocked out another British fighter, Dillian Whyte, in front of around 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium.

Fury’s hopes of landing a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, who retained the WBA, WBO and IBF belts by beating Joshua in Saudi Arabia last month, were dashed when the Ukrainian said he did not intend to fight again this year.

Fury then turned his sights on Joshua.