Anthony Joshua has confirmed he wants to fight Tyson Fury next after the ‘Gypsy King’ queried his interest in an interview on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ over the weekend.
WBA Super, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua refused to talk about a potential Fury fight in any depth after KOing Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds earlier this month.
WBC king Fury suggested in his interview that might be a sign of reluctance on Joshua’s part, but ‘AJ’ has underlined his interest as talks continue and a contract for a two-bout series nears completion. Joshua says the first Fury mega-fight is likely to take place in June.
“Whether he really wants it or not. I’m keen,” Joshua told Sky Sports News. “I basically said, ‘If Tyson Fury is the man with the belts, Tyson Fury is the man I want.’ That basically says, ‘I’ll fight anyone who has that belt, there’s no problem with the person’. I just want to go for the undisputed championship. That’s what I was trying to say that night.
“He took it how he wanted to take it. I’ve never turned away from a fight. I’ve never announced a fight and not showed up. I’ve fought six to seven champions, in my short career. Tyson Fury is another one of them.
“There’s no reason as to why I see him any different to any other. If Tyson Fury is down, I’m ready, I’m keen. I’ve got four of the major belts, he’s got one. I’ll take that one from him.
“I’m speaking to my management team, and I’m ready. I’m keen, I’ve got past my mandatory. Right now, I’m about less talk, more action.
“But the ultimate thing coming from me, I’m ready. The next fight, I want Tyson Fury, the next fight I want the WBC champion, the next fight I want to be for the undisputed championship of the world.
“That being said, they are in conversations now – my management team, my promotional outfit – of the best way to put a package together that can lead us into 2021 and hopefully the pandemic will be done and we can bring some unity, a good energy to Britain, if we can announce this fight.”