Fury sends message to Joshua after brutal stoppage of Wach

Tyson Fury has thrown down the gauntlet to Anthony Joshua after recording a comfortable victory over veteran heavyweight Mariusz Wach, insisting it is now Joshua’s turn to prove himself.

Fury stopped the 46 year old Polish boxer after seven dominant rounds at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Thailand on Friday. Wach failed to come out for the eighth round, handing Fury his 36th professional victory.

Following the win, Fury immediately shifted his attention to Joshua, who is set to face Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.

“I passed my test tonight,” Fury said. “Let’s see if he can pass his.”

The former world heavyweight champion said he hopes their long awaited all British showdown can finally be completed, revealing that talks are expected to continue soon.

“I’ve been away six of the last seven months. I’m not going to Saudi Arabia. I’m going home to my wife and kids. We’ll regroup and hopefully sign the big fight next week,” Fury said.

Fury’s latest comments continue a familiar pattern of calling out Joshua after his own victories, with the British rivals edging closer to a fight that has been years in the making.

However, uncertainty remains over where the bout would take place. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has maintained that any agreement requires the contest to be staged in the United Kingdom, while reports suggest a venue in the United States is also under consideration.

Joshua must first overcome Prenga before attention fully turns to the blockbuster clash, with Fury making it clear he believes he has already done his part and is waiting for his rival to do the same.