Joshua to Tyson Fury: Shut up and get in the ring

LONDON — Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury exchanged jibes on Twitter on Tuesday with Joshua challenging the former world champion and fellow British heavyweight to cut out the insults and step into the ring.

Joshua, the reigning International Boxing Federation titleholder, will face Wladimir Klitschko of the Ukraine in a world title fight at Wembley Stadium later this month in front of a British postwar record crowd for a boxing match of 90,000.

Fury labelled Joshua a "poor man's Frank Bruno" on Twitter in a reference to the popular British heavyweight of the 1980s.

That in turn led the muscular Joshua, a year younger than Fury at 27, to reply: "Typical Tyson Fury, always talking BS around fight time. Same offer as last time. Two ringside tickets, don't bring a plus one, it's for your fat ass."

Fury, who transformed the world heavyweight picture when he became the first boxer in 11 years to defeat Klitschko in 2015, paving the way for former Olympic champion Joshua's shot at a title, countered by saying: "I might be fat, but you're a paper champ and paper-chinned weightlifting rudeboy, wannabe badman.

"Know your place chump! Or I'll come back and (KO) you," he wrote on Twitter.

Joshua shot back: "Shut up and give me a date when you'll be back!

"You're the only reason we haven't had a fight yet! Be about what you say. I ain't going nowhere."

Fury and Klitschko twice agreed a rematch but the bout was postponed initially because of Fury's ankle injury and again due to the British fighter's mental health problems.

With Fury out of action, Joshua has established himself as one of the world's leading heavyweights.