Former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, David Haye, has disclosed some behind the scenes details from a sparring session between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
The two Brits have been linked to a historic clash ever since ‘The Gypsy King’ returned to the ring in 2018, although to the frustrations of fans, the bout has failed to materialise on a few occasions.
The vast majority of the boxing world now has Fury has a strong favourite should it happen, given he has remained an undefeated champion whilst Joshua’s campaign faltered in the form of two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
However, in a resurface interview with The Sun, Haye said that he believes Joshua to be the only man capable of dethroning the 35-year-old and that when the pair sparred in the past it was ‘AJ’ who enjoyed more success.
“If anyone has the physical tools to beat Fury, the number one monster in the heavyweight division, then it is AJ.”
“Many years ago, Fury and Joshua sparred and AJ got the better of him. If AJ can be strong, fast and aggressive against Fury then he has a chance of surprising everyone.”
Back in 2010, even Tyson Fury admitted that he was surprised by the skill of the then 20-year-old Joshua, who had been told he could keep Fury’s Rolex if he could knock him out, admitting that ‘AJ’ gave him a ‘beating’ for three rounds.
Unfortunately, sparring stories are as close as fans will get to the fight, at least for now.
In the meantime, Fury will attempt to do what Joshua couldn’t against Oleksandr Usyk. Should he win he will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
The fight will take place in Saudi Arabia, with a date to be announced.