Tyson Fury’s father, John Fury, has already made his feelings known about Anthony Joshua, as he prepares for his IBF heavyweight clash with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium this weekend.
‘DDD’ puts his IBF heavyweight title on the line when he squares up with AJ at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening, and the winner of the clash could go on to face Oleksandr Usyk or Tyson Fury – depending on the outcome of their rematch come December.
Fury was bested by Usyk on points back in May, with the undefeated Ukrainian becoming the latest man to hold undisputed greatness at 200 plus lbs. However, the 37-year-old was stripped of his IBF strap for dodging a match-up with mandatory challenger Dubois to rematch Fury later this year.
Interim title holder Dubois saw his championship upgraded as a result, and he puts his newly-acquired belt on the line against man mountain Joshua this weekend. And while there has been a fierce rivalry between AJ and Fury over the years – despite the two yet to meet in the squared-circle – the ‘Gypsy King’s’ father has shared his admiration and respect towards his son’s biggest foe.
The two first met earlier this year when AJ arrived in Saudi Arabia for his crossover fight with former UFC star Francis Ngannou, shaking hands on the red carpet. After the instance, Fury admitted: “I’ve always liked Anthony Joshua. I’ve never said anything wrong about him.
“He is a great fighter, Olympic gold medallist. He’s done a lot for boxing, let’s not forget that. And he’s a good fighter, and he will be a world champion again. But I couldn’t get over how big he was, the man is a unit. He’s always been a nice guy, respectful man. “He showed me respect. He was lovely. And it was heartfelt. I’ve got nothing but admiration and respect for Anthony Joshua. It was a great moment for me.” Joshua also shared the sentiment, saying: “I have nothing bad to say about John. John’s an older guy.
“In my culture, it’s about respecting your elders. That’s how I’ve been raised – always respect your elders – and John is an elder man regardless. Some of the elders in my family they’re not all nice men. Some of them are moody, they’re grumpy, but we still have to say ‘Yes uncle, no uncle’ whatever, all that type of stuff.
“It’s just part of our culture and John’s an older guy and I respect him for that.” Joshua ultimately defeated Ngannou via a second-round knockout when the two met in the ring, upstaging Fury who had struggled against the ex-UFC champion just months prior.
Asked about a potential future fight with Fury or Usyk afterwards, AJ told Sky Sports: “If they want me they can come knocking at my door. I’m just gonna do my best each and every time, do you know what I’m saying? But if they want me they can come knocking at my door. I’ll just get in there and do my best and go home. Nothing changes for me broski.”
When asked what he would say if they offered him a fight, Joshua quipped: “Lets go.” Anthony Joshua, with a record of 28-3 has his work cut out for him this weekend should he wish to face the winner of Usyk and Fury II with Dubois, who has proven he has power in his hands with 20 career knockouts to date, standing in his way.