Nigerian-born world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua has been hit with a verbal broadside by his fellow-British global title holder and rival, Tyson Fury, who has accused his potential blockbuster opponent of brutal tactics, megasportsarena.com reports.
Fury came out with furious words after he was hinted with a possibility of joining Joshua in the same camp under the banner of Eddie Hearns’ Matchroom Promotions, but ‘The Gypsy King’ opined that his fellow heavyweight champ is only interested in smashing the next man’s face.
Both Brits have an agreement is in principle to fight each other twice in 2021, with the first of those bouts bound to come once Joshua wins his next title fight this Saturday in London against Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev, who boasts a record of 28-1, on Saturday reposted a clip on Twitter of him having a swab taken to test if he had coronavirus.
The 39-year-old Pulev had initially been billed to fight Joshua at Principality Stadium in 2017 but that schedule had to be called off after he suffered a shoulder injury in sparring, and the Sofia-born boxer was replaced by Carlos Takam.
However, Saturday will now see Pulev get his long-awaited opportunity against Joshua, who has not fought since he outpointed Mexican-American, Andy Ruiz Jr last December, with the latest also earlier scheduled for the summer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, a different talking point has emerged heading into Saturday’s tango, as Fury reacted sternly to an interview Joshua had with the Mail newspaper on Sunday, in which the London 2012 Olympic gold medalist reckoned that his rival should join him at Matchroom if he wants to be a superstar.
Joshua said: “I do think he should come over to Matchroom and 258 Management and let us handle his career. He’s a superstar, he’s a superstar in the making with the right management. He could go all the way.”
Fury has now replied via Twitter, as he posted: “@anthonyfjoshua has it ever dawned on you I’m not interested in being a superstar, or famous.
“I’m a fighting man and only interested in smashing your face in, you keep the stardom, I’ll stay real, #youbigdosser I’m coming for u superstar, tick tock tick tock.”
