Bellew cautions Joshua and Fury that defeat will bring a brutal dose of reality

Tony Bellew, the former WBC cruiserweight champion, has cautioned that the loser of the highly anticipated Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury heavyweight showdown will be dealt a severe blow that may be challenging to recover from.

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The all-British bout, which has been a decade in the making, is finally set to take place in November, with promoter Eddie Hearn confirming that both fighters have signed contracts, although a venue and exact date have yet to be finalized.

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Wembley Stadium remains a possible venue, along with a potential staging in the United States, as organizer Turki Al-Sheikh aims to schedule the event at a time that suits a global audience.

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Brent Council, the local authority responsible for overseeing any approval, has stated that extending Wembley's 11pm curfew to accommodate a 2am ring walk would require assessment by the stadium's safety advisory group.

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According to Bellew, the loser of the Joshua and Fury fight will face a harsh reality, saying "Whoever loses between Joshua and Fury, it will be really hard for them to take.

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Bellew also noted that while both fighters may be slightly past their prime, the significance of the bout will still draw a large audience, as "we all need to see this happen" and "this fight has been dodged for far too long).

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Bellew emphasized the importance of staging the fight in the UK, stating "It's the biggest fight in British boxing history" and "It's got to happen here, it's vital.

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Both Joshua and Fury have recently completed mandatory warm-up fights, with Joshua overcoming a tough challenge against Albanian Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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Joshua was floored twice in the opening twenty seconds but recovered to stop Prenga in the second round, improving his record to 30 wins from 34 fights, and dedicated the victory to his late friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele.

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Joshua paid tribute to his friends, saying "It is more than punch power, that was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families," and expressed the difficulty of coping with their loss.

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Fury, on the other hand, had a relatively easy win against 46-year-old Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, stopping him in the seventh round.

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Boxing legend Mike Tyson has expressed his support for Fury, telling Ring Magazine that he will always side with him, regardless of the outcome of the fight.

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Tyson predicted that if Fury can avoid Joshua's punches, the fight will be interesting, saying "If Tyson comes in right and avoids those punches, it's going to be interesting, Joshua's a fast puncher," and reiterated his admiration for Fury.