ANTHONY JOSHUA is wary of fighting Tyson Fury after backing him to beat Deontay Wilder in February’s hotly anticipated rematch.
IBO, IBF, WBO and WBA champion Joshua even offered to spar with Fury in preparation for the bout.
Joshua would prioritise a unification bout with Wilder over facing FuryCredit: PA:Press Association
Gypsy King Tyson Fury has recently changed trainersCredit: Reuters
Joshua, 30, is backing Fury to beat Wilder to claim the fifth heavyweight belt, the WBC championship.
He told Sky Sports: “Fury has taken some relatively soft-touch fights to get his confidence back and is going into the new year as a new man with a new team and a new mindset.
“He must feel something within him that is new, and he wants to be the new heavyweight champion.
“He can beat Wilder providing he follows his game-plan for the 12 rounds.”
However Joshua warned: “Wilder has shown that you can’t blink for a second with him, because it only takes one punch,
“A good boxer, who is young, fresh and can follow a game-plan, can be victorious for X-amount of rounds [against Wilder].
“Boxing is about hitting and not getting hit. Ortiz got hit with a big punch but Fury is evasive, a lot bigger, flicks out his jab.
“He is quite difficult to hit.
“Fury fought Wilder the first time after a long lay-off.”
Since last year’s thrilling draw with Wilder, Fury has beaten Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin.
Sugarhill Steward has also replaced Ben Davison as trainer for the ‘Gypsy King’ in preparation for Wilder-Fury 2, expected to take place on February 22, 2020.
‘Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder brutally knocked out Luis Ortiz last month despite trailing on the judges’ scorecards.
Fury was twice knocked down by Wilder last year after outboxing him for most of the fightCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Wilder brutally KO’d Ortiz in the seventh round in NovemberCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Joshua is keen to fight the winner of Wilder-Fury 2, with his main aim being to unify the divison, rather than an all-British clash with Fury.
Speaking on the Graham Norton show, Joshua said: “I really don’t know. Either one of them, it doesn’t matter.
“The preference would be the champion Wilder because it’s a championship fight, but Fury is so talented as well and it’s the best of British so why not?
“I’ll fight either one of them.
“The dream would be to go for the fifth belt in 2020.”
Wilder has recently cast doubt over a unification fight, but Joshua’s audience figures are no match for the American, meaning Wilder is in no position to turn down AJ.
He told The Athletic: “I don’t think we’ll ever see a unification bout.
“We’ll never see it, and I don’t want people to get their hopes up on it because it’ll never happen.
“They couldn’t say anything about fighting me. They couldn’t mention my name. They went around me
“I’m too dangerous. You’ve seen what I do in the ring. I don’t play around.
“And they know if Ruiz can get Joshua out of there, imagine. That’s why they stayed away from me.”
Joshua recently regained his IBO, IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight belts after beating Andy Ruiz Jr by unanimous decision on December 6.
Watford-born Joshua originally lost his belts in a shock defeat to Ruiz in June at Madison Square Garden.
He is now on course to face either Fury or Wilder, but has first been ordered to make title defences against Kubrat Pulev and Oleksandr Usyk, the IBF and WBO mandatory challengers.
Joshua regained his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr this monthCredit: AP:Associated Press
AJ’s next target is to unify the divisionCredit: PA:Press Association
Anthony Joshua enjoyed secret late-night flirtation with Man City star Riyad Mahrez’s wife, Rita
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
