JOIN ME, TYSON!
Joshua’s tongue-in-cheek management offer to Fury
ANTHONY JOSHUA has told Tyson Fury to come and join his management company — so he can make him “a superstar”.
The two heavyweight world champions are set to face off in a unification bout next year, providing Joshua comes through his clash with Kubrat Pulev at Wembley on Saturday.
Final negotiations need to take place between the British pair, but both now say they are content with a 50-50 money split.
Previously, Fury rejected a 40-60 offer for the fight from Joshua, and AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, maintains his client has the bigger pull.
But Fury – as he claimed last week when he released a video on social media asking the BBC to withdraw him from the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist – is adamant he is the real People’s Champion.
And he insists that such a status, alongside his WBC belt, means the profits need to be shared equally.
Playfully, Joshua said: “Tyson has had a tough career, ups and downs, opponents not fulfilling obligations…
“I do think he should come over to Matchroom and 258 Management and let us handle his career.
“He’s a superstar in the making with the right management. He could go all the way.
“I see a lot of potential in Tyson. When he’s ready he can come over and we can get this fight underway.
“Build it up, award him Sports Personality of the Year.
“That video he did should be him saying, ‘I’m accepting my award’, not ‘I don’t want to be a part of it’. We’ll have a look at his
PR, we’ll strip it all back and make this fight what it’s supposed to be.
“He has a lot of potential – so 50-50, whatever it is meant to be will be.
“I wish him all the best, but he should come and see us and we’ll get him on the right track.”
Fury had to can a proposed clash with Agit Kabayel last weekend for a variety of reasons.
But Joshua’s WBA, IBF and WBO belts will be on the line against Pulev for his first outing since reclaiming his straps from Andy Ruiz Jr a year ago. g
And after watching hing the highlights of Mike ke
Tyson’s exhibition n bout with Roy Jones
Jr, he wants to take some of ‘Iron’ Mike’s mentality.
Joshua added: ““I I watched the highlights. hts.
“Tyson feinted well, but what I really liked was his attitude, the way he conditioned his mind to overcome any obstacle, any worries.
“H “He still has that and it’ it’s important.
“The biggest men aren’t always the toughest men mentally and for Mike, alongside his physical capabilities, what set him apart from a lot of the champions was his mindset. So I took a lot from that, that warrior’s mindset that I’m trying to work on.”
The big question is whether or not Joshua thinks he will still be fighting in 2043 when he’s 54, as Tyson ( left) is now.
“It’s all about social-media followers,” Joshua said, laughing.
“If I’ve still got a load of socialmedia followers then, and they called me up and say, ‘ There’s some YouTuber who wants to fight you’, or something, why not?”