Anthony Joshua Isn’t Impressed With Tyson Fury’s Career
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have been two heavyweight fan favourites in the boxing world for several years. Recently, both fighters agreed terms to a fight in 2021, despite politics initially delaying negotiations between the two camps. Given that these champions hold all five major belts in the weight class between the two, this bout could be a defining episode in heavyweight boxing history.
Fury became a household name in the sport for his various accomplishments in the European scene as a contender, but truly rose to prominence after defeating the former unified champion Wladimir Klitschko, to become the king in the division. ‘The Gypsy King’ earned the WBC and Ring Magazine titles by defeating Deontay Wilder in their rematch earlier this year, after overcoming a severe depression two years prior.
However, Joshua remains unimpressed by his fellow Englishman’s resume. ‘AJ’ spoke to SkySports (as transcribed by TheMacLife) about his view on a potential opponent in Fury, assuring fans that the WBC and Ring Magazine champion still has to prove his worth in the big leagues.
“What have you seen from Fury? A couple of feints? Moving around? What have you seen that makes him seem so intimidating? Speed?” Joshua said. “If the sport is lacking so much talent then all you need is feints and movement to be classed as a great of this generation…..
“With hard work, motivation and studying you can overcome that. So what do people see in Fury that is so fearsome, intimidating, that he can’t be touched at the top level?
“I take him as a serious challenger, of course,” said Joshua. “But resume? It’s taken him a long time to grow. His fight with Wladimir Klitschko was his first real challenge and he overcame it, but it took him eight years to build his experience and confidence.
“Then he had two years out and fought Deontay Wilder. He hasn’t been in the deep end for long enough to show me that he can swim there for a long time. You have to continually prove that you belong there. You don’t just come there once or twice.
“For me as a fighter, that’s how you gain my respect.”
While Joshua does not dismiss Fury as weak opposition, the Watford native remains skeptical of ‘The Gypsy King’s’ resume. What remains true is that both athletes are set to meet inside the ring to define who is boxing’s top man, should they both win their next respective bouts first.
With Deontay Wilder, Anthony Ruiz, and Dillian Whyte also in the title picture, the future of heavyweight boxing looks as promising as ever. Everything is set for a resurgence in the weight class that could produce some of the best bouts we have seen since boxing’s last heavyweight golden age.
How do you see Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury going?
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