Tyson Fury has backed a clear winner in a potential showdown between Joe Joyce and Anthony Joshua.
‘The Juggernaut’ and ‘AJ’ are one two different trajectories in the division just now.
Joyce has kept his undefeated record in tact over 15 fights, finishing 14 of those by knockout. 2022 saw a career-best victory over Joseph Parker and put him in good standing for a shot at a world title in the next twelve months.
In the other corner, Joshua is in comeback mode. Following a meteoric rise to the top, becoming unified world champion and finding himself just one belt away from his long term goal of undisputed, ‘AJ’ came up short to Oleksandr Usyk twice in a row.
He’s now out of the title picture for the foreseeable, and looking for big fights to remind fans what he’s about. Joyce would fit the bill nicely.
However, the WBC Champion, Fury, told IFL TV that Joyce would beat Joshua handily.
“I think he wipes the floor with Joshua – but, then again, we’ll never see it.”
It’s clear Fury still holds some resentment towards the broken down negotiations with Joshua – claiming that we’ll ‘never see it’ because he believes the former champion doesn’t want to test himself.
‘The Gypsy King’ is on record as identifying Joyce as his biggest threat in the division, calling him the number two heavyweight on the scene – although still saying he would deal with him easily.
As for ‘AJ’, he did beat Joyce a long time ago in the amateur ranks. The 2011 fight, though, holds little bearing on how a professional contest would play out.
‘The Juggernaut’ has been vocal about settling the score, and it’s a fight that may just play out once the dust of an undisputed fight between Fury and Usyk settles.