Tyson Fury has told Anthony Joshua to “grow a pair” and says he is ready to fight his fellow British world champion in December if his third meeting with Deontay Wilder does not go ahead.
Fury was on hand in London on Saturday night as up-and-coming heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois improved his record to 15-0 with a brutal second-round stoppage of overmatched Dutchman Ricardo Snijders.
But as ever the main topic of conversation post-fight was the potential unification showdown between WBC, Ring magazine and lineal heavyweight king Fury and IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua.
Fury is supposed to defend his WBC title against Wilder next, but as yet there is no fixed date for their trilogy fight with Saturday December 19 now apparently in doubt due to the continuing carnage caused by COVID-19 in the United States.
Joshua meanwhile is supposed to defend his titles against IBF mandatory contender Kubrat Pulev – also in December.
But Fury told BT Sport: “Here we go. If Wilder doesn’t happen, let’s do Joshua in December. Why not? It’s a boxing match, let’s get it on. I’m ready to go now. I could fight him in that ring tonight, don’t really matter. I’ll still kick his ass any time of the day.
“Do I see the fight happening any time soon? Hopefully they’ll grow a pair and wanna fight ‘The Gypsy King’.”
"If Wilder doesn't happen, let's do Joshua in December. Why not?"
"I'm ready to go now. I could fight him in that ring tonight!" ????@Tyson_Fury tells @anthonyfjoshua to "grow a pair" and make the undisputed fight… pic.twitter.com/oLvjO7eoQb
— Boxing on BT Sport ???? (@BTSportBoxing) August 29, 2020
Fury, not for the first time, criticised Joshua for not taking the chance of a unification match with Wilder when it appeared to be available in either 2018 or 2019.
“If I was in their position, had my chance at glory to go to America and beat Wilder, but they didn’ take it,” he said.
“So I had to come out of retirement, set about him a couple of times, take the number one spot, take all the glory. And then they’re all looking up to me. He (Joshua) must be sitting down thinking ‘you know that could have been me’. But it wasn’t.
“It is what it is, it’s their own fault, whether it was bad management or bad advice. Didn’t wanna fight for whatever reason, it’s played a massive part in how it’s all panned out. All the cards have been dealt and they’ve gotta come through me.
So I’m saying, grow a pair, come see the champ and I’ll sort yas all out. I’m just waiting her patiently, can’t be stopped, can’t be rocked, can’t be touched, can’t be moved. No fights on the horizon, training like a lunatic, running up mountains and becoming a human racehorse. But it is what it is.
“I’m just looking forward to all challenges, whoever they are, bring ’em to ‘The Gypsy King’ and I’ll deal with ’em in exciting fashion. I’m taking me career very very serious now, as you can tell I’m in fantastic shape, and I’m really looking forward to some challenges, because as of late I don’t get any challenges, it’s pretty easy for me.”
