Joshua getting better all the time, says trainer McCracken

Tyson Fury has been warned there is more to come from Anthony Joshua ahead of an anticipated unification fight in 2021.

A ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev on Saturday took the Briton’s record to 24-1 in what was his 10th world heavyweight bout. It was a more explosive performance from the 31-year-old compared to the disciplined display he showed against Andy Ruiz Jr last December. In winning back his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts 12 months ago with a back-foot game, Joshua added another string to his bow and his growing maturity was evident at Wembley’s SSE Arena when he waited for the opportune moment to go in for the kill.

Next up should be a twinmeeting with Fury in a ‘Battle of Britain’ and the undefeated Mancunian has been told we have not seen the best of Olympic gold medallist Joshua yet.

“Big Josh has had 10 or 11 world title fights and is still developing and winning,” trainer Rob McCracken said.

“He’s getting better all the time and it’s what he wants to do (fight Fury).”

McCracken has been in Joshua’s corner from the start and despite criticism after his sole loss to Ruiz Jr 18 months ago, the duo are determined to give the British public what they want.

Negotiations over the two world heavyweight champions from this country going toe-totoe will officially start on Monday and it is a matter of when, not if, they will get in the ring together.

“Him and Tyson Fury are the two best heavyweights,” McCracken said. “It’s when they fight, not if. I wouldn’t have thought they’d wait. I would think they would definitely fight and probably fight at least twice next year, that’s what everybody wants to happen.

“Me? Oh yeah, you can’t not let the fans see two great heavyweights go against each other, especially when they are British so 100 per cent they will box each other. It’s not even worth talking about.”

Fury did not wait long to make a prediction about the potential upcoming bout and warned “I knock him out inside three rounds” on social media.

All five world heavyweight titles are held by the Britons and McCracken admitted it would be “a fascinating fight and brilliant for boxing” but there are some finer details to be resolved first.

Not least is the issue of WBO challengerOleksandrUsykand whether Deontay Wilder is granted a third contest against Fury.