Anthony Joshua’s recent comments show that he does not beat around the bush when it comes to assessing a possible fight with Tyson Fury next year.
It has largely been Fury pushing for the fight, but the Joshua is now trying to engage in fighting talk.
“I want to rip his head off his shoulders when that fight happens. I’m sure I’ll win,” he said.
Joshua defended his IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight world titles just ten days ago when he knocked out Kubrat Pulev.
Now everything points to a stellar fight in the second half of 2021, against the ‘Gypsy King’.
“If Tyson and I fight, which I am sure will happen, it will be one of the most important sporting events in the country since the 1966 World Cup,” Joshua told The Guardian.
After his triumph against Pulev, promoter Eddie Hearn was quick to assure that in a few days would be announced for the unification of the heavyweight crown, a fight valued at 220 million euros.
“How close are we? I promise you there are conversations, but until you hear it from me, don’t say anything. I’m serious about the fight, so when I announce it you will know it is real,” Joshua said.
The Watford-born fighter, who has just offered substantial financial backing to the national amateur boxing federations of England, Wales and Scotland so they can help clubs in need of support during the pandemic, also revealed an ‘unknown’ match with Fury in 2010.
It happened during a training session at the Finchley Amateur Boxing Club when Fury was a heavyweight champion, and Joshua a promising amateur boxer.
A Rolex at stake
“If you can hit me, or knock me out, you can have my Rolex,” Fury told Joshua.
“He already knows my uppercut, he knows it. He’s been afraid since I was 20. Trust me, he knows what’s coming,” he added.
Fury gave an interview to the BBC shortly after that training session and did not spare Joshua praise.
“He gave me a great uppercut and if my chin was a little weaker, I would have been knocked out for a month,” he said.
“I consider myself one of the best heavyweights of the world, but for three rounds he beat me up. I thought, ‘my God, an amateur is killing me.'”
