By Charles Brun: Tony Bellew says he rates Tyson Fury as the #1 heavyweight, but he still believes that Anthony Joshua will beat him. It’s a little confusing for Bellew to see WBC champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) as the #1 fighter in the division, and yet still view IBF/WBA/WBO champ Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) as having his number.
Bellew feels that styles make fights, and Joshua has the wrong style for the 6’9″ stork-like Fury. Tony doesn’t mention where Deontay Wilder plays into this. Perhaps Bellew thinks Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) will knockout Joshua.
If that’s the case, then there CAN’T be a true #1 in the division because the top three guys would cancel each other out. There’s nothing wrong with the situation being seen as a muddled mess at heavyweight, considering that’s how it’s been for many years.
Even during Wladimir Klitschko’s resign as a unified heavyweight champion, there was a lot of boxing fan who felt that he would lose to half a dozen fighters in the division.
Joshua’s style is all WRONG for Fury
“The top three heavyweights today,” said Bellew, when asked by IFL TV which the top three heavyweights are. ‘If you’re going what they’re actually doing, you can’t really knock Tyson Fury for what he’s doing since he’s come back. I understand why people have him #1.
“I have to put Fury #1, but I still think AJ beats him. Styles make fights, and I think AJ’s style is all wrong for Fury. I think he would catch Fury. He’s so relentless, so powerful, so athletically explosive and dynamic; I don’t think Fury could keep him off.”
“Deontay Wilder isn’t technically sound enough to get himself in position to punish Tyson Fury. To take into consideration is Anthony Joshua is an Olympic gold medalist, and he’s technically sound. He’s not the finished article, and he’s still improving. He’s so much more of a well-rounded boxer than Deontay Wilder.
“If Deontay Wilder is able to have the best version of Tyson Fury on the floor and out on his feet, then believe you me, Anthony Joshua will not let him off the hook,” said Bellew.
Tony could be right about Joshua having the style to beat Fury and beat him badly. Fury doesn’t hit hard enough for him to go to war with Joshua, and he’s not going to be able to outbox him the way he did against Wilder last February.
Fury is a good fighter, but what he did to Wilder isn’t indicative of what he would do against Joshua. The reality is, if Fury tries to use the same gameplan on Joshua that he deployed against Deontay, he’ll get knocked quickly. Fury used that game plan against Wilder, and he can’t use it for Joshua because he’ll be ready for it.
No one has solved the Fury puzzle
“He’s probably the most ruthless finisher in the heavyweight division,” Bellew said of Joshua. “People say, ‘You’re AJ’s friend.’ I’ve known Tyson longer than AJ. So it’s no bias. It’s just me giving my opinion.
“Tyson Fury is an enigma. No one has ever been able to solve the puzzle that he presents to you. He’s definitely so good, and his footwork is so good for a man of his height and size, it leaves fighters puzzled.
“He’s been on his back numerous times. Steve Cunningham, who is a brilliant fighter, he had Fury down and really, really hurt. Even with his speed advantage, he couldn’t catch up to Tyson and finish him off.
“That lets you know that Fury is very capable when hurt. But as I’ve said before, AJ is such a phenomenal force going forward. He’s just impossible to keep off. There hasn’t been a fighter he’s fought that he hasn’t hurt and basically had on the back foot.
“If it does go past six, he’s in trouble because Fury is unbelievable to figure out. The most important thing is the fight happens because we don’t need them to be avoiding each other. We get a clear resounding king of the heavyweights in the world,” said Bellew.
Wilder solved the Fury puzzle in his first fight with him. Wilder knocked Fury out in the 12th, but the referee didn’t stop the fight the way that he should have. A lot of boxing fans believe that Fury was given preferential treatment by getting a count when he was out cold.
