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Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury spoke highly of rival Anthony Joshua when they sparred for the first time 10 years ago.
He may be singing a different tune now that they are poised to fight for for all the heavyweight belts, but Tyson Fury used to rate his rival Anthony Joshua very highly. In the wake of Joshua s ninth-round destruction of Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night (Sunday NZT) to retain his WBA, WBO and IBF titles, Fury lashed out at his fellow Brit, promising to knock him out “in three rounds” should they meet as expected in a unification showdown next year.
Joshua v Fury: Demand for fight intensifies, 10 years on from sparring session
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Joshua and Fury hold all four major heavyweight titles between them
The sporting world longs for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to throw punches at one another in the boxing ring. They already have.
For while Joshua s win over Kubrat Pulev on Saturday intensified calls for him to face Fury in 2021, the pair actually tussled in 2010.
On his way back from the gym, Fury - who was 22 at the time and a professional - called Steve Bunce at BBC Radio London and explained what Joshua - who was 20 and chasing amateur honours - was like.