Heavyweight boxing’s most frustrating “what if?” might finally trade that title for one far more satisfying—Fight of the Decade. For years, fans have been tantalized by the possibility of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua squaring off in a true British blockbuster, only to watch negotiations collapse like a poorly stacked deck of cards. Amidst the chaos of shifting belts, promotional politics, and the volatile nature of the Gypsy King, the dream matchup has stayed just that—a dream. The landscape has changed dramatically. Both former champions have fallen from their peaks of invincibility.

The Wythenshawe giant, Fury, is recovering from a razor-thin split decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in May 2024. Meanwhile, Watford-born Olympic gold medalist Joshua, who once dominated the heavyweight scene with three of the four major belts, faced tough back-to-back defeats in 2022 and has been fighting his way back ever since. In an instant, the stakes have shifted. This goes beyond unification or boasting; it’s a fight for redemption.

Enter Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi power broker and chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, who has become boxing’s de facto kingmaker. In a conversation with ThaBoxingVoice, Alalshikh revealed his vision to revive the super-fight—“Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury next year, we are trying to do it and thinking about it. I need to have for each one a tune-up fight first. Why? Because they are both coming from losing. It’s to build it up.” The comments, shared via Ring Magazine’s Instagram handle, hint at a 2026 showdown between the two British titans, contingent on both fighters successfully shaking off ring rust through respective tune-ups.

If anyone can make this long-delayed collision a reality, it’s Alalshikh. His influence turned Saudi Arabia into boxing’s new Las Vegas, pulling off mega-events like Fury vs. Ngannou, Usyk vs. Fury, and multiple Riyadh Season spectacles. Now, his eye is firmly set on staging Fury vs. Joshua on the grandest of platforms—perhaps even in front of a sea of Saudi fans under desert lights.

Tyson Fury may be chasing glory inside the ring, but when it comes to royal recognition, he’s made one thing crystal clear—he’d rather rule his own mythos than accept medals from the monarchy.

Tyson Fury says he doesn’t want an MBE

Despite being one of Britain’s most compelling sporting figures of the 21st century, Tyson Fury remains conspicuously absent from the UK Honours list—a fact that doesn’t seem to ruffle his feathers in the slightest. Speaking at the IBA Pro 7 Press Conference and Fight Night in Istanbul, the former heavyweight champion addressed the long-standing snub with the kind of theatrical charm and cheek we’ve come to expect from the Gypsy King.

“I’ve talked about this a few times before. The only honour I would accept is ‘Emperor of the North,’” he told reporters with a grin. “Unless they can create that for me, I am not interested in any other honours. Emperor of the North. That’s it. Not King of the North, there is only one King.”

Fury, now 36, boasts a résumé stacked with iconic moments—his 2015 dethroning of Wladimir Klitschko, his heroic comeback from mental health struggles, and that legendary trilogy with Deontay Wilder, not to mention his duels with Oleksandr Usyk. Yet unlike contemporaries such as Carl Froch (MBE) or Anthony Joshua (MBE, later upgraded to OBE), Fury’s name continues to be missing from both the New Year and King’s Birthday Honours.