Joe Joyce predicts winner of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
'Juggernaut' delivers his verdict on 'The Gypsy King' vs 'AJ'
British heavyweight Joe Joyce (12-0, 11KOs) has delivered his verdict on the winner of a potential undisputed clash between Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21KOs) and Anthony Joshua (24-1, 22KOs) later in the year.
The unbeaten heavyweight is currently in talks to face Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory challenger to Joshua's IBF belt in an eliminator fight to clear the way for the undisputed clash to take place.
And Joyce, 35 from Putney, believes that 6ft 9" giant Tyson Fury will take the victory over his heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua, due to the former Olympic gold medalist's 'fear of getting hit'.
He told the Standard: “I’m going with Fury because of his performances and the way he’s come back from his lowest point to beat Deontay Wilder for the WBC.
“I think that while Joshua’s picked himself up since losing to Andy Ruiz Jr, he’s kind of been a bit too negative in his style, and been a bit wary of the shots coming back at him.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a 50-50 fight, Joshua has got great strength, hand speed, dedication and motivation, and he’s very competitive. With Fury, you know he is mentally very strong, tactically as well. He’s unorthodox and hard to hit, he’s fast and he’s a bigger guy with the longer reach. For me, he has the edge.”
Joyce could set up an undisputed heavyweight shot of his own should he beat Oleksandr Usyk, and believes that he is ready to face the challenges of both men after showing his ability to defy the odds against Daniel Dubois.
“I think I’m ready for them both. They’re both at the top of their game.
"I’d make sure I have a great training camp and get my tactics right but I’m confident of my ability. I’ve sparred them both, we had competitive spars and it’ll be the same on fight night just with a lot more at stake.
“If I get through Usyk and make that, and beat him, I’ve got the potential to fight the winner of AJ-Fury, which is the biggest fight. That’s of belts on the line.”
“I’m used to that kind of thing as, I guess, in the GB team I was always in Joshua’s shadow," he said. "I’ve always been a bit stealth and under the radar. The fight against Dubois was like my big coming out fight. Now my face is being included with all the top names so I’m going in the right direction.”
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