Joshua gets called out for world title fight

WBC heavyweight champion, Agit Kabayel, has called out British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, for a world title shot, insisting he is prepared to wait until the Briton settles his score with Tyson Fury before facing him in the ring.

Joshua and Fury are expected to collide in November, though a date, venue and promoter are yet to be confirmed. Both fighters will first step into warm-up bouts against lower-ranked opponents on the same weekend, with Fury facing Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on July 24, and Joshua taking on Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a day later.

Should Joshua get past Prenga and subsequently beat Fury, he is expected to pursue a third world title reign, with Kabayel standing as a likely opponent.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the German champion, who has sparred both Joshua and Fury on separate occasions in the past, said he was ready to grant either man a shot at his belt once their rivalry is settled.

“Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, when you think you have a chance to be a three-time world champion, let’s do it. Kabayel will wait for you,” he said.

“We can make the fight, but first of all, I think all the fans, the British fans, want to see the Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury fight and, after that, we can see who’s best for the fight with me.

“First of all, AJ (for Fury), and after, why not? This is a big fight. We can also make this in Germany in a stadium. We can make this in the UK in a stadium.”

Kabayel was elevated from interim to full WBC champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his three belts to avoid mandatory defences, handing the German his first world title reign.