Joshua ready to ‘rock and roll’ with Fury
World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is ready to “rock and roll” with Tyson Fury whenever the former champion wants to get in the ring with him.
Fury has not fought since taking four belts from Wladimir Klitschko in September 2015, but, with his well-publicized problems with UK Anti-doping now behind him, the 29-yearold has returned to training, Sky Sports reported.
The Manchester-born fighter still needs the British Boxing Board of Control to return his professional license, but he has spent the last week telling Joshua, in several interviews and on social media, that he will be back soon to retake the titles he was forced to give up.
Not that the 28-year-old Joshua, who holds the IBF and WBA belts, has been paying much attention as he prepares for his next fight at the end of March, most likely against WBO champion Joseph Parker.
Joshua said he had not heard Fury’s latest claim that he was just a muscle-bound “carthorse” and these taunts were just “what I deal with in my industry”.
On the more important issue of when Fury might be ready to back up these words in the ring, Joshua told the Press Association: “I don’t know if he is back or what his situation is, but, as I always say, I stay consistent with what I’m doing and it’s up to him to get back on the gravy train.
“So calling somebody out is irrelevant when you don’t know if you’re going to live up to your words. I’m sure he will, but at this present time he’s saying he needs warmup fights. So tune in to what’s important and then focus on the bigger picture – that’s your strategy.”
Joshua, who beat Klitschko in arguably the fight of the year at Wembley in April, believes Fury would be better served by “working his way back” over the next two years, but, if the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ is in a hurry, so be it.
“If he wants to get straight in the ring with me in the summer, let’s rock and roll,” the London 2012 Olympic champion said.
“The ball is in his court but either way I’m ready to roll – I don’t mind what we do.”
One potential opponent for Fury on the road to a clash with Joshua is Tony Bellew, who is scheduled to fight another former British world heavyweight champion, David Haye, in May. La Liga president Javier Tebas reassured fans that Spain is in not in danger of missing out on the World Cup despite suspended Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar claiming otherwise.
Villar gave a news conference on Monday warning that Spanish government interference at the RFEF could lead to FIFA taking away the country’s spot at next year’s tournament in Russia, ESPN reported.
FIFA sent a letter to the RFEF raising concerns regarding the state of the country’s federation and reminding its member nation of its duty to manage its affairs without outside influence.
However, Tebas told Marca Radio, “It’s a supine stupidity that Spain will not be at the World Cup and I hope the population doesn’t believe it. Spain will be, and will win, the World Cup.”
At the helm of the RFEF since 1988, Villar was reelected as president for an eighth term in May.
However, the 67-yearold was suspended from his duties two months later by Spain’s top sports authority, Consejo Superio de Deportes (CSD), and is currently on bail awaiting trial on charges of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption and falsifying documents.
Villar said the move by the CSD to suspend him was “arbitrary” and an “injustice” without giving him the “possibility of presumption of innocence.”
The government-run CSD, led by its president Jose Ramon Lete, requested in May that Villar’s reelection be annulled and, if not, for Villar to face a vote of no confidence from the RFEF.