Fury: ‘I could beat AJ with one arm...’
TYSON Fury believes a match-up with Anthony Joshua is the only fight people want to see and claimed he would win with “one arm tied behind my back”.
Joshua is not expected to be short of options following his sensational 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, with a potential rematch with the Ukrainian or a meeting with Deontay Wilder both possibilities.
Joshua himself called out Wilmsow fighter Fury in the wake of his Wembley win, with the ‘Gypsy King’ hitting back, pledging that he would reclaim two of his old titles by inflicting the first professional defeat on the WBA and IBF heavyweight champion.
“Styles do make fights but I am sure I can beat AJ with one arm tied behind my back,” Fury said in a Sky Sports interview. “I don’t even need a warm-up if he wants this.
“I have been out of the ring as long as Klitschko but the difference is, I am not 41, I am 28.
“There’s only one fight out there, the biggest fight in the world and everyone knows that. It is the heavyweights, it is me and AJ, no one else.
“It is the only one the world wants to see and I am here, I am the lineal champion, I am still number one in the world and everybody knows that.
“We all saw (his career) had a life and death situation against Klitschko, but Klitschko couldn’t land a glove on me.”
Fury has not fought since winning a unanimous decision over Klitschko in November 2015. He surrendered the various titles he won in that fight to focus on his mental health problems.
Fury subsequently had his licence temporarily revoked by the British Boxing Board of Control and must wait to see if his licence is returned at a hearing next week.
While Fury is keen for the bout, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn may have other ideas, touting a potential rematch with Klitschko in America.
“It will soon be time to go global,” Hearn said. “Even if we do fight Klitschko again it doesn’t have to be in the UK. It could be but again that might be a fight that suits Madison Square Garden. The reaction from America was massive from this. I think Josh will box next in October or November.
“We are not really in a tearing rush. American broadcasters would love to see the rematch [with Klitschko]. You would have big numbers, big TV deals, big gate, big sponsorship so while Klitschko doesn’t need the money, you now have the chance to fight Joshua again and get more money.”