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‘On my hit list’: Anthony Joshua wants to fight Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua is waiting for Tyson Fury.

Anthony Joshua is waiting for Tyson Fury. Photo: PA/Nick POtts

Two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua says Tyson Fury is on his “hit list”.

Joshua avenged the only defeat in his professional career when he saw off Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia in December, before a bout against Kubrat Pulev was postponed due to COVID-19.

The coronavirus has also caused a delay to the Gypsy King’s third fight against American Deontay Wilder, but the appetite for an all-British bout to decide an undisputed heavyweight champion remains.

“Undoubtedly the fight I want is Tyson Fury – he is holding something that I want, he’s on my hit list,” Joshua, 30, told The Sun.

“He says things about me all the time, there is so much back and forth, but Tyson Fury is only relevant the day me and him sign a contract to fight.

“He is a great person and he has done great things in boxing, but until the day we fight that is where it ends and I don’t have anything else to say about him.

“I really want the belt he holds and that is where I stand.”

But Fury, 31, insists he has been pushing Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn for the “last five years” to organise a bout.

He told Sky Sports: “Eddie Hearn talks a lot of hot air as usual.

“I’ve been offering to fight Joshua for quite a while. I’ve been trying to make that fight happen for the last five years. And it’s not happened at all.

“Have the guts to step up to the plate and get flattened, son!”

tyson-fury-deontay-wilder

‘Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury celebrates his win over Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas.

Fury also claimed Joshua’s style plays to his strengths.

“AJ’s style is tailor-made for mine. He’s an upright fighter walking forward with a classic defence. Strong and powerful.

“He’s got no footwork, hardly any resilience. And he’s a bit gutless when it comes down to getting clipped.”

Fury went on to predict when he would expect to win a fight against Joshua, while making a mocking reference to the latter’s surprise defeat last year to Andy Ruiz.

“I think I’d knock him out in round two, three rounds. First time I connect on him, his legs will do a dance and I’ll just jump on him like the little fat kid did in America that time.”

Joshua’s win by unanimous decision in Riyadh gave him the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles, while Fury claimed the WBC strap after a seventh round TKO over Wilder in February.

-with agencies

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