Anthony Joshua Refuses to Be Fooled by Tyson Fury's Charm Ahead of Dec. 11 Cardiff Showdown
LONDON – Anthony Joshua will not be fooled by the Tyson Fury charm offensive ahead of their December clash.
The two British heavyweight giants came face to face in London on Wednesday to formally announce their highly anticipated Ring Magazine main event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11, and despite a rivalry lasting more than a decade, the atmosphere was surprisingly respectful.
According to The Ring, both men even smiled as they posed together for the first time in years.
At one point during the press event, Fury – known as "The Gypsy King" – invited Joshua to join him for a post-fight pint, regardless of the result in the Welsh capital, just 14 days before Christmas.
Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) refused to accept the invitation.
The 36-year-old Londoner suggested he still cannot trust Fury, despite the seemingly well-intentioned gesture, insisting he won't be sucked in by Fury's history of pre-fight mind games.
"Can you really believe anything he says?" Joshua asked. "He'll be trying to get under my skin 100 percent. None of it will work on me. I need to be stoic and calm. It's nothing personal, I just know what sort of person he is. Even if someone is loyal and good to you, you still don't trust them. He can be really good to me, but I'll still know that this is a fight."
Joshua added:
"He doesn't have to be a bad person. We don't have to hate each other. Even if he is being respectful, I need to remember that he wants to beat me. I know where I stand with it. It doesn't matter what he says. I won't be friendly because he's friendly or rude because he's rude. I will be stoic in my approach because I know that this is a fight."
The fight, officially announced by Turki Alalshikh and promoted by Ring Magazine alongside UFC boss Dana White, will be streamed live worldwide on Netflix. The 80,000-seat Principality Stadium with its retractable roof was chosen after Joshua insisted the historic all-British showdown take place in the UK.
The bout is being billed for the WBA Super Heavyweight World Title.
Joshua's chances of facing Fury at all nearly went up in smoke on July 25, when unheralded Kristian Prenga dropped him twice in the first round of a warm-up fight, before Joshua recovered.
Now, with both men finally set to collide after 15 years of failed negotiations, Joshua is making it clear: no pint, no friendship – just business.
Source: The Ring Magazine
