Anthony Joshua seems to have transmitted a contentious message to Tyson Fury by claiming he will not be “civilised” as he prepares for “combat and war” in their world title fight.
Joshua is required to confront Fury in an undisputed world title fight this year, with the British rivals currently finalising terms for a blockbuster battle that will decide the sport’s No 1 heavyweight.
Fury ruthlessly halted Wilder last February to contend for the WBC belt, while Joshua employed an explosive knockout on Kubrat Pulev in December, and the WBA, IBF, and WBO champion is preparing himself for a violent showdown.
Anthony Joshua who took to his official youtube channel said “Some people may not understand it and I realise in this life; 99 per cent of the population are civilised people,”
“The job I’ve chosen is for the uncivilised. This is a sport of combat and war.
“We’re not civilised people, we’re warriors, and I love it.”
Joshua avenged the only loss on his record, defeating Andy Ruiz Jr on points in a rematch, and he is not daunted by an opponent like Fury, who still holds an unbeaten record.
He said: “No matter what the tactics are, no matter how much you study, no matter how much you think you can beat me, I’m just there to win.
“I’m there to do a job, and that’s the fighter’s mentality.”
Footage emerged last week of WBC champion Fury braving the cold temperatures by swimming in Morecambe Bay as part of his training ahead of the £200million blockbuster fight with Joshua
Fury has not fought in 12 months but has been ticking over with gym sessions and home workouts during three lockdowns but Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn joked that his belly looked like his in the video.
Joshua has indicated that he wants the Fury fight to be held in the summer, telling Sports journalist: “I think maybe June, end of June.
“It needs a bit of time because the pandemic is unpredictable at the minute. We don’t know what’s happening, but with a little more time, it gives us more time to prepare and plan.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has been finalising a deal with Fury’s American promoter Bob Arum and several countries have been considered to stage the fight.
Hearn while talking to the media said: “We’re talking to Saudi Arabia, we’re talking to Qatar, we’re talking to Dubai, we’re talking to Singapore, we’re talking to China, we’re talking to America.” All sides are confident an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks while the Middle East has been touted as the likeliest destination to stage the fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Joshua, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles, is determined to become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in the early 2000s and is already training regularly at his old amateur club in Finchley despite the fight still being months off.