New heavyweight world champ ready to offer Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury winner title shot at Wembley

NEWLY-CROWNED heavyweight world champion Murat Gassiev is ready to defend his WBA title against Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury. The Russian woke up to the news that he had been elevated to the organisation’s full title after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his belts in June. Anthony Joshua celebrates knocking out Kristian Prenga Credit: AFP Tyson Fury beat Mariusz Wach in Thailand Credit: AP Meanwhile Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, are set to finally commence their overdue Battle of Britain later this year. Gassiev, 32, will watch on with intrigue as he opened the door to facing the winner at Wembley in a defence of his new WBA crown. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! He told SunSport: “Sounds very good, why not? Because look, I always come to the ring and try to do the best things I can, and I respect boxing fans. “I know they buy tickets, it’s money. I respect these people and I wanna give my fight, it’s like respect for boxing fans. “To have fight in this stadium, it’s like a dream, big, big dream.” Fury returned to the ring in Thailand when he breezed past 46-year-old veteran Mariusz Wach in seven routine rounds. But 24 hours later in Jeddah, it was almost disaster for AJ after he was dropped twice in the opening round against Kristian Prenga, 35. Joshua – now coached by Usyk’s team – pulled it back in round two to KO Prenga and keep his super-fight with Fury alive. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS The Home of Boxing in 2026 There's a massive year of boxing ahead! It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring. The Gypsy King has beaten Mariusz Wach in his second fight of the year to set up a huge fight with Anthony Joshua And AJ did the same, knocking out Kristian Prenga in the second round of a thrilling encounter – the Brit was knocked down twice in the opening round. Now fans are looking forward to Moses Itauma’s return for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August. Here’s all the big fights coming up… August Sat 1 – Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – DAZN Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN September Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue. Gassiev said: “It was a good fight, warm-up fight. “He has new team right now, maybe new plan, new tactics in training camp and maybe he’s not adapted. “But he’s still a great champion, Olympic gold medalist, heavyweight world champion and he’s very, very good and dangerous fighter. “He can beat Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury can beat Anthony Joshua, you never know what’s happens because this is heavyweight division.” Murat Gassiev is the WBA Heavyweight champion Credit: AP Russia’s Gassiev could face one of the Brit pair at Wembley Credit: AP Gassiev is one of only four fighters to have won cruiserweight and heavyweight titles joining Evander Holyfield, David Haye and Usyk. He knocked out Kubrat Pulev, 45, last December to win the WBA ‘Regular’ belt and defended it against Peter Kadiru, 29, in July. And he warned that power carried up from cruiserweight will still be enough to put AJ or Fury on the seat of their pants. He said: “I’m ready for anything, for lose, for win, for war. I’m ready to die for, doesn’t matter, doesn’t matter because this is my life. “Look, I’m not a big, big puncher but I have some good power, just I throw punches and sometimes knockouts happen. “Anthony more stronger. Tyson more stronger, but when you weigh more than 100 kg it doesn’t matter, any fighter can go down.” Comment now