Acting legend Ray Winstone cannot wait for an all-British world heavyweight title showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and is hugely impressed by both.
The 63-year-old Winstone – star of such cult films as ‘Sexy Beast’ and ‘Scum’ among many others, boxed to a good level as a youngster and is still a keen student and fan of the sweet science.
He joined ‘Frank Warren’s Heavyweight Podcast’ to talk all things boxing – including his own fighting past and the state of the current heavyweight division.
Winstone was hugely impressed by Fury’s dominant victory over American Deontay Wilder in February 2020 which added the WBC belt to his Ring magazine crown, saying ‘The Gypsy King’ “absolutely destroyed” his opponent.
Ray Winstone on Joshua
“The way he boxed was fantastic, he’s a very clever fighter.”
Winstone also reserved plenty of praise for Joshua – who bounced back immediately from a shock first pro defeat at the hands of unheralded American Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019 by clearly outpointing the American in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December 2019.
“He got to a stage where it looked like he wasn’t hungry anymore, wasn’t thinking anymore and he wasn’t boxing anymore. He was leading with his chin and he looked stiff. I thought this kid was done, it’s over. He’ll get knocked spark out once he gets in with someone half useful.
An acting legend on @frankwarren_tv’s Heavyweight Podcast today – the undisputed Daddy of British cinema, Ray Winstone.https://t.co/0pzplWYnvS
— Acast (@acast) April 24, 2020
“When he boxed to regain his title, he boxed a beautiful fight. Intelligent. He’d learnt.”
In terms of the overall fight game in the UK, Winstone added: “our boxing is in a good place right now.”
Not surprisingly talk on the podcast immediately turned to the potential blockbuster between Fury and Joshua at some stage in the near future.
Warren said: “We want it. That’s the one that everyone wants to see. Everyone’s got an opinion on it. I spoke to Tyson on the phone this morning and he definitely, definitely wants it. He’s chomping at the bit. Hopefully we can get that on!”
Winstone’s take on that – quite simply – “sweet”. Preach. Bring it on…
