<p>With their fight in the balance, world heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are trading blows on social media instead of the ring.</p>
<p>There was a back and forth between the English boxers over Twitter on Wednesday, prompted by Joshua calling Fury a “fraud” because his rival might have to pull out of their Aug. 14 fight in Saudi Arabia following an unexpected ruling in the United States.</p>
<p>An arbitrator has ruled that Fury is contractually bound to fulfil a third fight with Deontay Wilder, and that it has to take place by Sept. 15.</p>
<p>“You’ve let boxing down!” Joshua wrote directly to Fury. "You lied to the fans and led them on. Used my name for clout not a fight.</p>
<p>“Bring me any championship fighter who can handle their business correctly.”</p>
<p>Fury responded with an expletive-laden post, saying the arbitration was “out of my hands” and that Joshua knew it was going on in the background.</p>
<p>“But I tell you what," Fury said, "if I’m a fraud let’s fight this weekend bare knuckles till 1 man quits? Let’s put up 20 mill each!!!”</p>
<p>Joshua then questioned why Fury would announce they were fighting — he did so in a video on Twitter on Sunday — if the arbitration was in process.</p>
<p>“If there was an arbitration going on, why announce to the world we are fighting!" Joshua said. “The fight was signed! UNDISPUTED.”</p>
<p>Fury replied that he would not go into the details of the arbitration over Twitter, and said: "I’ll smoke wilder first then you will get yours aswell.”</p>
<p>Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has given Fury’s camp a deadline of the end of this week to salvage the fight. However, the prospect of it going ahead appears increasingly bleak.</p>
<p>Hearn is already looking into securing an alternative opponent for Joshua. That could be Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO belt.</p>
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<p>Steve Douglas is at <a href="https://twitter.com/sdouglas80">https://twitter.com/sdouglas80</a></p>
