Anthony Joshua says longtime rival Tyson Fury can "redeem himself from the circus" of his collapsed undisputed heavyweight title bout with Oleksandr Usyk by agreeing to meet him in the ring.
The much-anticipated heavyweight unification bout between WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Usyk and WBC belt-holder Fury was scrapped last week after the Ukrainian's promoter blamed Fury's “unacceptable” demands.
Joshua said: "There's no better time to get Fury in the ring than now because he needs me to redeem himself from this circus, this letdown.
"He needs me so there's no better time than for him to call my name out and I'm someone that will take on any challenge."
Joshua, whose record stands at 24 wins, 22 knock-outs, and three losses, takes on Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 Arena on Saturday, his first ring appearance since losing his rematch to Usyk in Saudi Arabia last summer.
The Englishman, 34, has said he is targeting one "last run" at heavyweight gold and emulating the great Muhammad Ali as the division's only three-time champion.
Fury called off a proposed bout against Joshua last year, saying his rival had missed a deadline in which to agree terms for what would have been the biggest fight in British heavyweight history.
Fury, 34, then set his sights on facing unbeaten 36-year-old Usyk in what would have been the first undisputed heavyweight contest since 1999.
But after weeks of negotiations, both parties announced an agreement could not be reached due to a dispute over the terms of a potential rematch.
World Boxing Council chief Mauricio Sulaiman said it was "extremely disappointing" that negotiations between Fury and Usyk to unify the heavyweight titles had broke down. Unbeaten in all 33 bouts as a professional, Fury has held the WBC crown since February 2020.
“The WBC has been extremely supportive of the ultimate unification fight between Fury and Usyk to determine the undisputed champion in the heavyweight division,” Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
“It is extremely disappointing that such a match will not take place as this window of opportunity will not be there in a long time, it will be difficult to have everything aligned as there are mandatories for each organisation.”
Sulaiman added that a final elimination fight between former champions Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr would determine Fury's next opponent.
“The WBC convention ruled that a final elimination would take place between Wilder and Ruiz to determine the mandatory contender of the division," Sulaiman said. "The WBC had been waiting for the confirmation of the unification fight so we will now review the following steps to be taken."
However, that fight, which still has no date, is also in doubt. Both Wilder and Ruiz had been promoted by Al Hayman's Premier Boxing Champions before the former announced last month that he was a "free agent" and open to offers from rival promoters.
Wilder fought an epic trilogy against Fury, drawing the first fight before losing the next two – the last via an 11th round knockout in October 2021. Ruiz shocked the boxing world when he knocked out then champion Joshua in June 2019 only to lose the rematch in Saudi Arabia six months later.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
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info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Mobile phone packages comparison
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
