Anthony Joshua has praised Tyson Fury for his mental health work in response to his heavyweight rival’s fresh jibes.
The unified WBA, IBF & WBO world champion found himself on the receiving end of yet another barrage from Fury in a recent interview, but has opted not to rise to the bait.
“AJ’s style is tailor-made for mine,” Fury told Redknapp’s Home Fixture, “He’s an upright fighter, walking forward with a classic defence.
“Strong and powerful, but he’s got no footwork, hardly any resilience and he’s a bit gutless when it comes down to getting clipped.
“I think I’ll knock him out around two or three rounds.
“First time I connect on him his legs will do a dance and I’ll just jump on him like that fat kid did before. Easy, not a bother.”
He then concluded: “I’ll tell you what shot it’s gonna be as well, should I?
“It’s gonna be a left hook to the temple, you’re gonna see him do a Bambi dance all over the ring.”
In response, Joshua decided not to fire back.
AJ told SunSport: “He says things about me all the time, there is so much back and forth, but Tyson Fury is only relevant the day me and him sign a contract to fight.
“The day he and I are going to fight is the only time really that I should be talking about Tyson Fury.
“I don’t really want to be in that position where I am talking him down.
“He says a lot of controversial things, and I know if that was me… I just think he gets away with a lot.
“But the work he has done around mental health has been very impressive.
“I didn’t understand how much mental health issues had played such a big part in society.
“And I think that Tyson Fury is such a big guy, a heavyweight champion of the world, and it means that people can look at him and think, ‘Well if Tyson Fury can go through this, I shouldn’t be so scared to talk.’
“Tyson has done so well with this. And that is what I am happy to talk about with Tyson Fury.
“But all the ‘jumping on him like the little fat boy did’ stuff, that is all irrelevant.
“He is a great person and he has done great things in boxing, but until the day we fight that is where it ends and I don’t have anything else to say about him. I really want the belt he holds and that is where I stand.”
The pair are unlikely to meet next, with Fury obligated to face Deontay Wilder again and Joshua set to defend against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev.
