Boxing: Fury Predicts Joshua KO, Says Real Target Is Usyk

Tyson Fury has predicted he will stop Anthony Joshua inside seven rounds when the two British heavyweights meet in Cardiff on December 11, describing the bout as a warm-up for a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Speaking on the Furocity YouTube channel in his first comments since the fight was confirmed last Thursday, Fury said he would “box the head off” Joshua and finish him in six or seven rounds. He said he was using Joshua as a stepping stone towards another meeting with Usyk, who beat him twice on points in 2024.

Fury was dismissive of Joshua’s chances, saying his rival lacked the speed and stamina to trouble him. He called Joshua an “old bum” and a weightlifter with too much weight training and not enough cardio, adding that he would cut through him like a hot knife through butter.

The former world champion said his priority was a trilogy fight with Usyk, but he wanted it staged in America where he believed he would receive a fair decision.

Fury claimed he had won the first two fights and said he would definitely get the verdict in the United States. He added that he wanted to use Joshua as a heavy bag before moving on to Usyk, ideally after a good warm-up ahead of March next year.

Negotiations for the Joshua fight had repeatedly collapsed before this week’s announcement. Fury said he had doubted the bout would ever happen and recalled Joshua turning down a face-off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April.

He called Joshua a coward for that decision and said he never believed he would get him in the ring. Now that the fight is set, Fury said it felt like Christmas had come early and predicted an onslaught.

Despite the harsh words, Fury insisted he would respect the result. He said both men would get in the ring and throw down, and that may the best man win. If Joshua knocked him out, he would shake his hand, and if he knocked Joshua out, he would do the same.

Asked if he had a message for Joshua, Fury said he had none beyond telling him to turn up on the night, stay sharp, be on point and be ready to go.

The fight brings together two of Britain’s biggest heavyweight names after years of stalled talks, with the venue dispute only resolved this week.