Tyson Fury reckons Anthony Joshua’s confidence is shot after two ‘shaky’ displays and predicts shock first-round KO
TYSON FURY reckons Anthony Joshua's confidence is shot after two 'shaky' performances.
Watford's WBA, IBF and WBO champ jabbed and moved his way to an Andy Ruiz Jr rematch win last December and stopped Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds last month.
But Fury reckons his brilliant February demolition of Deontay Wilder and the bloodbath points win over Otto Wallin in September 2019, that left him needing 47 stitches, look better.
And he reckons the 31-year-old Olympic 2012 icon is struggling for self-belief, despite bouncing back from his June 2019 KO loss to Ruiz with a couple of comfortable wins.
Fury told : "I don't think he is as good as people talk him up to be.
"And I don't believe he believes it himself, I think he has a confidence issue after two shaky performances and boxing is all about form.
"On his last two fights he is not in form and, on my last two, I am.
"Momentum is with me and, because of that, I believe I take him out early, very early, maybe inside one or two rounds."
The 32-year-old WBC king also urged his rival not to let their rivalry go stale.
When Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally met in 2015, it was at least five years too late after money and ego delayed the bout.
Most read in Sport
In June, Fury and AJ agreed a 50-50 split for a first fight and a 60-40 split going to the winner for the rematch.
And the undefeated 6ft 9in ace has told Joshua to sign the contract or publicly quit the talks.
"This fight has been brewing for a long time, they have been avoiding me for a long time," he said. "Now it has finally got to happen.
"They have either got to run away from the fight and announce that publicly or they take the fight.
"Either way, it is a lose-lose situation for them.
"Boxing is one of the only sports where rarely the best face the best.
"It's always a champion picking his opponents, you never get the two best guys fighting each other.
"We saw the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight but we were waiting for about ten years for that fight and I believe Pacquiao was past his best when it happened, even though he is still boxing now.
"So hopefully we get to go one-on-one soon, not just the two best heavyweights out there but the two best that are in their prime."
