Promoter Eddie Hearn said history has shown that Anthony Joshua has never withdrawn from a fight as he responded to Tyson Fury’s recent claims that the all-British heavyweight battle might not happen.
Joshua and Fury return to the ring this week for fights against Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach, respectively, that have been billed as must-win final warm-ups before facing each other.
The British rivals are expected to finally meet in November, with a date and venue yet to be announced, but, in a recent interview with Sky Sports, Fury cast doubt over the fight, revealing he is prepared to face “somebody else” later this year.
Hearn hit back, saying Fury, not Joshua, posed the greater flight risk due to his track record of fight withdrawals.
‘We have our doubts over Fury’
“Look at history,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “Check the facts, check the resume. If you really want to pick one fighter who’s more reliable than the other, I don’t think it’s a close-run race.
“What fight has AJ ever signed for that he’s not competed in? What fight has AJ ever pulled out of?
“He’s got the most solid resume and the most professional attitude of any fighter I’ve ever worked with. Can we say the same about Tyson Fury? No. That’s the reality of the situation.
“If odds are being thrown around about who might pull out of this fight, trust me, it isn’t Anthony Joshua.
“Don’t forget, AJ has not only fought every contender he could have, he also previously signed to fight Tyson Fury, who pulled out of the fight because of an arbitration ruling involving Deontay Wilder.
“So don’t worry about AJ, he’s as game as they come. But we have our doubts about whether Fury will turn up, especially if AJ looks great on Saturday night.”
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Joshua says ‘he knows what he need to do’ against Kristian Prenga, as he prepares for his final warm-up fight before a probable mega-fight against Fury
Fury ‘the king of mind games’
Time will tell whether there is more substance to Fury’s doubts, but Hearn suspects it could be the latest example of the ‘Gypsy King’ looking to land the first blow by getting into his opponent’s head.
“This build-up is going to be epic,” Hearn added. “We know the fight is going to be epic. In and out of the ring, this is going to be box office. We’ve waited a long time for this.
“It’s going to be spicy, funny and compelling. Two very different characters. God willing they both get the wins on Friday and Saturday and we can finally get this thing on.
“There will be mind games. Fury is the self-professed king of those and he’s very good at it as well. Fury will think he can win the fight that way, before the first bell, but I think he will be very disappointed. AJ is mature enough to deal with that now.”
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Barry Hearn backs Joshua to beat Fury if the British rivals finally meet later this year, insisting Wembley Stadium is the ideal venue for fans
As far as Hearn is concerned, the only scenarios that could scupper the fight are defeat or injury to either boxer this weekend.
“The only thing that’s going to stop the fight from happening in November is if one of these guys gets beat this weekend or picks up an injury,” he said. “Touch wood, especially the first one, hopefully neither of those will happen.”
Saturday’s opponent for Joshua, Prenga, remains something of an unknown quantity, but with all 20 of his professional victories coming by knockout, Hearn urged caution.
“Joshua is a great finisher, he’s done that his whole career,” he said. “If he sees an opportunity, he’ll try to seize it.
“But I think it’s a dangerous fight. Everybody talks about it being routine for AJ, but a lot has happened in his life. He’s had to come back from a huge amount physically, mentally and emotionally.
“There will be a lot going through his mind on Saturday. Two guys who have been with him throughout his career won’t be there. I’m sure he’ll be fighting for them as well.
“Then there’s the challenge of a big, strong, heavy-handed, motivated fighter who’s coming to change his life.
“AJ has to take him out before he takes you out. That’s heavyweight boxing. Prenga is dangerous. If he catches you on the chin, you’ll know about it. AJ has got to be disciplined and switched on.”
