In the ring, Anthony Joshua has verbally attacked Tyson Fury, declaring his confidence in his ability to overcome the Gypsy King. Months of speculation about a potential fight between the British heavyweights led to the breakdown of negotiations; Joshua’s camp blamed unreasonable deadline pressure.
Joshua received an earlier offer, framed as a 60-40 split in Fury’s favor, prior to the Gypsy King’s matchup with Derek Chisora. But Joshua chose to confront Robert Helenius, and the conversation broke down once more. With a potential matchup between Joshua and Fury approaching, the former has demonstrated unwavering confidence in himself, provided he defeats Francis Ngannou on March 8.
Joshua declares with confidence that he will defeat Fury handily, saying, “If I put Fury on his arse, I would not let him get up.” Drawing attention to their disparate strengths, approaches, and genetic make-up, Joshua refers back to their amateur days and says he was able to successfully box Fury. He sees a chance to show off his skills against Fury and highlight the differences in their paths within the boxing community.
Even though Fury has been vulnerable to knockdowns lately—most notably during the Deontay Wilder trilogy and the fight against Ngannou, where a strong left hook forced him to the canvas—he has always recovered to win. Even though Joshua has experienced setbacks—most notably during his fight with Andy Ruiz Jr.—he emphasizes how both fighters have improved since those bouts.
Examining Fury’s fight with Ngannou, Joshua rules out the idea that it was a publicity stunt and acknowledges that MMA fighters can legitimately transition into the boxing world. Recognizing that some MMA competitors, such as Ngannou, are actually good boxers, Joshua reconsiders his viewpoint on the crossover. He does not, however, lose sight of the task at hand, stressing that Francis Ngannou is his top priority at the moment.
