Anthony Joshua, the British boxer, has sharply criticized his longtime compatriot Tyson Fury, calling him “foolish” and accusing Fury of disrespecting the sport of boxing.
Joshua, who is preparing for a fight against Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in England, still hopes for an opportunity to face Fury in the ring to determine who the more talented fighter is.
In a recent interview, Joshua didn’t hold back in his criticism of Fury’s behavior leading up to his fight against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua stated, “I’m glad Fury isn’t the undisputed champion. I just think he’s a fool. If it was someone else, maybe I’d feel sorry for them.”
He continued, “I always say he’s a fool, he lacks respect. I just feel he thinks by trampling on others it will make him feel better. That’s not how I operate.”
Joshua specifically criticized Fury for calling Usyk a “rabbit” and a “middleweight boxer,” believing such remarks are detrimental to boxing. “If I respect you and you respect me, we can elevate this sport and people will think we’re two of the best fighters in the world. But Fury will step on you and make you look like you’ve just stepped out of a pub and aren’t on the same level. And he gets beat, he deserves that,” Joshua added.
Usyk, who currently holds the WBA, WBO, and WBC belts, had to vacate the IBF title to be contested between Dubois and the winner of Joshua’s upcoming fight. Fury is set to rematch Usyk on December
21st. Joshua expressed indifference towards whether Fury retains his championship belts, emphasizing his desire solely to face Fury in the ring: “I don’t care if he wins or loses. I just want to fight him; it’s been too long. Fury avoids many people, he doesn’t fight many heavyweight boxers. He needs to step up against me and stop wasting my time. I don’t want to wait until I’m 40, 41, 42 years old to fight him.”
With his focus on preparing for the upcoming fight and his determination to face Fury, Joshua is demonstrating his patience and resolve. It’s highly likely that these two British fighters will meet in the ring sometime in 2025.
