By Huck Allen: Tyson Fury says he WON’T kick Anthony Joshua while he’s down to criticize him at his lowest point after his crushing 12 round unanimous decision defeat last Saturday night against Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) says he’d take shots against fighters that are doing well rather than slamming someone when they’re dealing with misfortune in their lives.
Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) lost his IBF, WBA & WBO heavyweight titles last weekend in a defeat against former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London, England.
Few boxing fans believed Joshua would lose to Usyk because he had the size, power, speed, and home country advantage going for him.
Things went wrong for Joshua in his decision to box Usyk to prove that he was on the same level as him technically. It could have worked for Joshua if he were familiar with the Eastern European style of fighting.
AJ couldn’t accurately figure out the different feints and moves Usyk was making in the ring, and ultimately led to him falling behind early.
While Joshua did fight well in the middle rounds, he didn’t have the energy to handle Usyk’s last surge of power in the championship rounds.
Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn have decided to activate the rematch clause to face Usyk early next year. We’ll see an improved Joshua in this fight, promises Hearn, and it could be a different outcome.
Tyson Fury won’t slam Joshua
“I’ve got no interest in slating anybody or kicking anybody while they’re down,” said Fury to Top Rank Boxing in choosing not to take a shot at Anthony Joshua after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk last Saturday.
“It ain’t my style. I like to pick on someone that is doing well, successful, on top of the game.
“I don’t like to pick on people who are down and at the lowest point and probably unstable and unwell after such a big loss after a long reign.
“Usyk did his job. He did what he had to do, and Joshua has got to do what he’s got to do. None of my real business.
“I can’t say I’m interested because I’ve got ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to deal with, and whoever is next, we’ll deal with them just like I’ve done with the other 31 other opponents I’ve already faced,” said Fury.
Fury’s promoter Bob Arum has already offered to have Tyson take the fight with Usyk next letting Joshua face the winner.
Arum doesn’t believe Joshua can beat Usyk in a rematch, and he’d rather have Fury take the fight because he’s convinced it’s one that he can win.
Fury’s advice to Wilder
“I think he can try landing more punches on my face,” said Fury to Top Rank on what Wilder needs to do for him to win their rematch. “Hit me in the face as much as possible.
“There’s no rocket science to boxing,” said Fury. “Although these fighters today try and make it sound technical and download data, it’s two men fighting, punching each other in the face and the body for 12 rounds or less.
“There’s no rocket science to it. You got to train hard, get to bed early, eat right, and drink plenty of water,’ said Fury.
Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) will be challenging Fury for his WBC tittle on October 9th in their fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s a match-up that Fury hasn’t shown an eagerness to take, as he attempted to walk away from the fight despite Wilder having a contractual rematch.
When Wilder lost the fight, Fury chose to try and walk away from the rematch despite their being a rematch clause. Fury must win this fight to stay in the hunt to face the Joshua vs. Usyk 2 winner.