“If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight one of the realest fighters out there that will take on any challenge, step into the ring with me next if you’re a real bad boy,” Anthony Joshua said inside the ring, adrenaline still surging. The callout came moments after he had knocked out Jake Paul. Now back in the win column, the former champion was in no mood to cap off his resurgence on a serious note, though.

Instead, he felt the curtains on the MVP Netflix boxing event should fall in a humorous fashion. The opportunity arose during the post-fight proceedings. His attention turned to Al Foran, the well-known fighter impersonator who was present with the media at the final press conference. With over 100,000 followers on social media, the comedian has carved out a niche online by impersonating famous boxing personalities. Since Tyson Fury was absent, Anthony Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn decided to direct their questions toward Foran.

Courtesy of a Fury impersonation, Anthony Joshua gets his answer

The media session took on a lighter tone when a reporter asked about a potential fight with Fury. Joshua expressed his willingness, but Hearn quickly interjected. If Tyson Fury agreed, they might as well skip an interim fight planned for February or March, he suggested. Playing along, Joshua promptly impersonated Fury: “24 hours to sign a contract. Let’s see if he’s a man,” while also borrowing Oleksandr Usyk’s famous “greedy belly” jab.

As another reporter prepared to ask a question, Joshua recognized Al Foran and invited him to perform. Joining in, Hearn asked, “Tyson, what are you saying about maybe going straight into the fight with no warm-up?” Fury, portrayed by Foran, responded, “Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll do it right now. 100%. Come back into that Kaseya center, put that ring together, and put me in with him. 100%. ”

A John Fury impersonation soon followed. After mimicking Usyk and Mike Tyson, Foran entertained the crowd with a Donald Trump imitation. The act concluded with an impression of Chris Eubank Jr., another British icon known for his off-ring antics. According to the former world champion, or rather, Al Foran, Joshua carried himself like a warrior.

Joshua attempted to coax an impersonation of himself from Foran, but the comedian admitted he had yet to master it. “I’m working on you,” he said.

Slow steps forward in the AJ-Fury saga

While the Jake Paul fight ended on a light note, the aftermath could take a more serious turn as the new year approaches. No sooner had Joshua defeated Paul than reports emerged of a possible February tune-up against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

At the post-fight press conference, a reporter raised the subject. Hearn made it clear that nothing had been finalized. Discussions were ongoing with Turki Alalshikh regarding Joshua’s next move. The Riyadh Season head has already hinted at turning the long-anticipated clash between Fury and Joshua into reality by September 2026.

Considering Joshua is working with Oleksandr Usyk’s renowned team, plans may already be in motion to prepare him for a Fury showdown. Like Joshua, Fury has endured back-to-back losses to the heavyweight great.

Now that Joshua has made his intentions clear, the decision rests with Team Fury. Fans will have to wait and see whether the Mancunian, who retired earlier this year following a second defeat to Usyk, returns to sign on the dotted line. A bout with Anthony Joshua could well be the swan song he has been waiting for.

There is a strong possibility that the former WBC champion may opt for a tune-up first. What’s your gut feeling? Do you think Fury vs. Joshua will finally break through?