Anthony Joshua has publicly offered to spar Tyson Fury ahead of his rematch with Deontay Wilder.
Fury goes to war with WBC champion Wilder again in February in a highly-anticipated rematch of their controversial first fight. Joshua and Fury have not sparred since becoming seasoned pros and are direct rivals as the two best British heavyweights in the division.
Fury axed his trainer Ben Davison just two months before his clash with Wilder and Joshua has now offered to jet out to America. He said on Sky Sports: ‘Fury if you need me for sparring? I sparred Tyson Fury when we were kids anyway. I’ll go out to America and spar Tyson Fury to get him ready for this Wilder fight.’
Fight fans will be hoping Joshua and Fury face off in the ring someday, although Frank Warren has repeatedly voiced concerns about that match-up ever happening. Joshua is poised to fulfil his IBF and WBO mandatories in his next fight and will take on either Kubrat Pulev or Oleksandr Usyk.
The WBA (Super), IBF and WBO champion is fresh off his revenge victory over Andy Ruiz earlier this month. Joshua demonstrated a discipline and patient game plan against Ruiz and the heavy-handed fighter admitted his style was changing.
‘December 7 I won, but it’s the start of a new change in my boxing style and my boxing IQ,’ Joshua said. ‘I had to make some real adjustments in a short space of time. December 7 was a trial and error period. It worked out well. I think I beat Andy 12 rounds out of 12.’
Joshua was the challenger against Ruiz after suffering a shock defeat to him last June, but insisted he would prefer to walk out first as a champion. He explained: ‘It was [a] solitary [ring walk]. It gives me a chance to think about where I’m at. I’d never visited an arena before [a fight], but this time I wanted to take ownership of that arena. I did that ringwalk on a Tuesday, I did that ringwalk on a Thursday and I went to the arena on the Friday and it felt familiar.
‘Where I am in this ringwalk is in my element. I was in control of my situation. I can’t control the outcome, but I can control my situation. I got in [there] and I didn’t feel comfortable, so I got [in the ring] in the other way.
‘I was in control of myself. I didn’t let the event control. I slowed myself down, mentally. I would love to come in first as a champion,’ Joshua added. ‘It gives you time to gain ownership. If the governing bodies are listening, I wouldn’t mind coming in second.’
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