‘There’s going to be blood shed, and it ain’t gonna be...

ANTHONY JOSHUA has vowed to spill Tyson Fury's blood in an epic Battle of Britain - if his rival comes out of retirement. The pair's long-overdue domestic dust-up seemed finally set to come to fruition after Fury's back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk last year.

Image Credit: The Sun [Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during a boxing match.]

But Fury threw a major spanner into the works last month by announcing his FIFTH retirement, although AJ isn't giving up hope of putting a brutal beating on the Gypsy King. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion told iFL TV: "I feel like it's the best fight [for me].

Image Credit: The Sun [Anthony Joshua at a boxing match.]

"People might say [Joseph] Parker, people might say - I don't know. "But I think Fury, commercially, is a great fight and it's a great man's fight as well. So I think it makes sense. "You could say it's been years in the making. But listen, the heavyweight division has been thriving.

Image Credit: The Sun [Anthony Joshua throwing a punch at Daniel Dubois in a boxing match.]

"And why I say it's probably still a great fight is as I said Parker is, for me, a great story of someone that never gives up. "And the thing is, there is going to be one winner and one loser and there's going to be bloodshed. And it ain't gonna be mine.".

Image Credit: The Sun [Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua boxing stats comparison.]

Fury, 36, has remained radio silent on his fighting future since his latest hanging up of the gloves. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. But Joshua isn't convinced we've seen the last of the Wythenshawe warrior. "Has he retired with the possibility of coming back?" Joshua asked when quizzed about Fury's retirement "Yes.

"Has he retired? Yes. Is he going to come back next month? No. In short, he might come back but he is retired.". Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh is desperate to make the fight, telling The Stomping Ground: "I want Joshua vs Tyson. "I spoke with Fury but not about boxing. I just checked about his health and his family.

"I think he maybe will return. I hope so.". Joshua, 35, hasn't set foot inside the ring since his brutal fifth-round KO defeat to former sparring partner Daniel Dubois last September. A February rematch with Triple D was on the cards before his team convinced him to rest and recover from niggling injuries.

And he's keeping his cards close to his chest over when he'll next be back in the squared circle. When asked about his ring return, AJ said: "More fights, this is my life, this is what I do. "Right now I sit outside and I watch and then I'll make my return one day.