Anthony Joshua can’t pick a winner between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, but he’s thrown his support behind one to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
Holding all four belts was a clear goal in Joshua’s career, but back-to-back losses to Usyk, who previously achieved sole champion status at cruiserweight, may have ended that dream for good.
Whilst some feel Joshua would back the Brit in the hope of a future showdown – perhaps with a world title on the line – not losing any shine, he revealed to TNT Sports that his support lies firmly with his former opponent.
“I don’t know [who wins] but I’m team Usyk anyway. [There’s] a respect, but Fury’s said a lot of bad things about me. I’m never gonna ride with someone that disrespects me. That would make me a lunatic and I’m pretty level-headed. So I’m gonna go with the person who shows me respect.”
Asked if he would still be keen to face Fury should Usyk win, Joshua said yes, but that time was running out.
“For the entertainment factor, yeah. It’s getting drawn out a bit though. They’ll have two fights. The first one and then the rematch. Maybe that’ll be Fury’s only two fights next year.
Hopefully he can sneak one in at the end of the year with me, but that draws it out for another twelve months before I see Fury. But we got Wilder anyway, or we got Parker. We got other big fights.”
Joshua returns to the ring on December 23 against Otto Wallin. Should he and Deontay Wilder, who faces Joseph Parker on the same card, win, they’re expected to fight on March 9.