Tyson Fury predicts Anthony Joshua will LOSE to Oleksandr Usyk if Brit has to face mandatory WBO challenger as he pleads with him to vacate belt and ‘fight the fight everyone wants to see’
- Tyson Fury is desperate to set up a ‘Battle of Britain’ bout with Anthony Joshua
- Joshua has at least two mandatory defences in his path, before he is available
- The Gypsy King has pleaded with his fellow Brit to vacate a title to sort their fight
Tyson Fury has pleaded with Anthony Joshua to forego his mandatory title defence against Oleksandr Usyk, as he fears the reigning champion could suffer defeat and jeopardise any chance of their superfight.
Joshua is due to take on mandatory IBF challenger Kubrat Pulev on December 12, with promoter Eddie Hearn insisting that the bout will not be postponed again.
AJ also has a mandatory challenger in the WBO division in the form of Usyk, and Hearn has admitted it is unlikely the 33-year-old Ukrainian will step aside.
Tyson Fury has spoken once more about the prospect of facing Anthony Joshua in the ring
Anthony Joshua is finally due to face Kubrat Pulev this year, with December 12 pencilled in
As a result, Fury – who is keen on setting up a mammoth ‘Battle of Britain’ clash with the 30-year-old – has suggested the former Olympic champion vacate the belt in order to ensure their fight can go ahead.
‘Rather than fight all these mandatories he’s got, I’d say just vacate those belts and fight the fight everyone wants to see’, Fury told Youtube channel Behind the Gloves.
‘I ain’t running from you, I don’t care about you. I’ll go through you like a knife through butter. Come and fight the big boy, step up to the plate and get knocked out. Then fight all those easy guys.
‘No disrespect to Oleksandr Usyk – great fighter, cruiserweight world champion, probably going to be heavyweight champion if he fights Anthony Joshua – but don’t take my retirement cheque, baby. Don’t do it.
Joshua has another mandatory challenger waiting in the wings in the form of Oleksandr Usyk
Fury has begged his fellow Brit to vacate the WBO belt so they can arrange their own clash
‘I said to Deontay Wilder years ago, “do not take my retirement fund, do not fight Joshua, He’s mine. He’s my countryman, I’m having him, I’m breaking him in!”
‘But it didn’t happen. He got broke in by an unlikely suspect [Andy Ruiz]. It was what it was. Why would he fight Usyk and get 10 per cent of what he can make off the Gypsy King?
‘Vacate it, let them boys fight for the vacant [WBO] belt, whoever it is, Usyk and [Joseph] Parker. We’re at the top of the game. We’re in this boxing to fight the biggest fights out there.
‘It’s a boxing match, what’s the worse that can happen? You can lose? Big deal.’