‘Prepare for the worst’, Boxing greats predict outcome of Joshua, Fury’s bout
After what feels like an eternity, the deal to see Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fight to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion is signed.
The sports world was turned upside down when Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn let slip the contracts were signed for a two-fight agreement.
Although dates and a venue are still yet to be confirmed, it marks a huge step in the right direction.
Nearly four years ago, Joshua told Fury to ‘get fit you fat f***’ as the former world champion remained inactive following his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
Since then, ‘The Gypsy King’ has been a man possessed on reclaiming his throne in the heavyweight division and succeeded when he emphatically stopped Deontay Wilder in their rematch last year.
Meanwhile Joshua was forced to travel to Saudi Arabia to get the WBA, WBO and IBF back from the rotund waist of Andy Ruiz Jr, who shocked the world by stopping the Brit in New York City in June 2019.
Yet the time for talking is almost over and soon, the lights will dim, the fans will take their seats and the two best heavyweights in the world will trade leather for all the marbles.
But how will the fight play out? Some of the best minds in boxing have been tasked with finding out the answer to that very question.
Mike Tyson: “It’s very interesting, Joshua is a masterful puncher. But you can see his punches coming, he telegraphs his punches.
“And that’s just a recipe for disaster if you’re fighting Tyson Fury and you’re telegraphing your punches – to a guy whose 6ft 7in, come on.”
Wladimir Klitschko: “Joshua is a superior athlete, great fighter, Olympic champion.
“Most importantly, he’s a great guy, who carries the torch of this image of a heavyweight champion perfectly. I’m proud to call him as a friend, even though we were [rivals].
“And I think and I wish that eventually Joshua is going to unify all of the belts. That’s the eventual plan.”
Joe Calzaghe: “Tyson Fury has to be the favourite,” he said, “Judging on ‘you’re only as good as your last fight’, Tyson Fury would be the favourite right now.
“I think he is the best fighter in the world based on his last fight. Don’t get me wrong, AJ is a top fighter as well and it’s a fight I really want to see down the line.
“It will be fantastic for British fans and fans around the world to see Fury and AJ.”
SugarHill Steward: Fury, trainer, is understandably leaning towards the WBC champion. “Tyson’s unpredictable in the ring, he does not know what he’s going to do next,” he told mybettingsites.co.uk.”
“Maybe he will just come out and just box [versus Joshua]. Who knows what the game plan will be. Everybody has to think about so many different things with Tyson. Is he going to come out at you or not? Now you have to train two different ways; somebody coming at you and somebody boxing you. It starts to get a little difficult then preparing for something like that.
“You have to prepare for so many different styles with Tyson Fury, that makes things a lot more difficult. I am eager to prepare for anybody whether it’d be Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, I’m eager to do that with anybody. That’s the excitement, that’s the thrill. It’s like a rush. It’s like when you don’t drink cola for a while and then you take that first sip with all the bubbles and it’s like ‘woah’ – it’s so delicious and so good.”
David Haye: I don’t see AJ winning on points,” he said. “If either of them are going to stop the other one, it will be Fury outboxing him and AJ not getting to grips with him.
“If there is a stoppage AJ, if it is points, Fury.”
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“It’s hard to go against Tyson Fury,” he said. “I mean, AJ boxed really well when he won his titles back [against Andy Ruiz Jr].
“But it is hard to look past Tyson Fury; he can stand there toe-to-toe and have it out with you, he’s very good defensively, he’s got a great jab and great hand speed.
“I think he ticks the boxes in all areas. But how can you go against AJ? He’s got all the belts; he’s a good boxer and a good dig. On any one night in the heavyweight division anything can happen, but I just go with Tyson.”
Johnny Nelson:“I’ve gone public in saying I think Anthony Joshua is the all-around better fighter. I think Tyson Fury is better tactically and the more technically equipped, but AJ is the all-rounder.
“He can fight, he can box, he’s an athlete. Tyson Fury is a boxer. I think both men are now at a stage where they’ve done so much and learned so much in their careers that they’re so neck and neck.
“But, I’d go with Anthony Joshua because he’s shown me a lot more variety in his arsenal.”
Carl Frampton: “Fury vs AJ is very good, I think that it is a fight that sells Wembley out twice and pretty quickly.
“I think because of the most recent performances from both of them, people are saying Fury wins easy. I would pick Fury to win the fight, not as convincingly as everyone thinks though.
“I think it will be a very good fight, but I think Tyson Fury would win at this point.
“[Joshua] redeemed himself. Now that is in his memory – what not to do ever again – Joshua beats Fury by knockout late.
“It will be an interesting, exciting five or six rounds at the beginning. Then Joshua’s athleticism, boxing IQ and experience would overwhelm Fury.
“Joshua would come out of a dust-storm based on his experience.
“At this point he has to make a really serious statement based on [the Ruiz defeat]. Redemption.”
“I think when it comes to technique and being technical, and then you have Fury by a mile.
“I think AJ has to go in there and go for the kill.
“He [Joshua] might be stronger, and he might be the harder hitter, but he has to go in there hoping he’ll win the fight.”
“I just think styles make fights,” he said. “I believe he is the only guy who has the tools to beat Tyson Fury.
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“He’s the man who can get close enough, he’s the man who throws punches that are fast enough to land, he hits hard enough to drop him and hurt him.
“I just think styles make fights.
“I believe he is the only guy who has the tools to beat Tyson Fury.
“He’s the man who can get close enough, he’s the man who throws punches that are fast enough to land, he hits hard enough to drop him and hurt him.
John Fury:“Anthony Joshua gets the biggest humiliating a boxer has ever got,” he said.
“If ever a boxer is going to get humiliated, and took to school and embarrassed, it is Anthony Joshua. Tyson is something else.
“He practices what he preaches, he’s a proven product, he has beaten everyone in front of him. He’s going to be champion for the next five or six years, easily.”