Fury and Joshua maintain cordial tone ahead of December 11 heavyweight bout
At their first joint press conference, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua expressed mutual respect despite a decade of rivalry, confirming their December 11 fight in Cardiff.
The inaugural press conference for the WBA super-heavyweight title clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua was marked by a surprisingly amicable atmosphere. Both fighters, who have exchanged barbs for ten years, appeared friendly during the face-off, with Joshua even play-fully touching Fury.
Fury praised Joshua, noting his two-time heavyweight champion status and Olympic gold medal, and said he often defends his rival to fans. He added that the bout, set for Dec. 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium before an estimated 80,000 spectators, represents “the icing on the cake of two great careers.”
"Listen, the one thing I will say, right? All the banter and all the trying to sell the show… This man is a two-time heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist… If you could achieve 10 percent of what this man has achieved, you'd be doing well," Fury said.
Fury also said he hopes to share a pint of Guinness with Joshua after the fight, to which Joshua responded jokingly, "I don't know, I don't trust you."
When questioned about Fury’s 2023 decision win over Francis Ngannou, Joshua emphasized his own victory over Ngannou and declined to draw direct comparisons, stating that the December showdown would determine the better man.
"With Ngannou, he just wanted to impose his will, and my will was stronger, and I got the victory… All of these comparisons don't mean anything. The better man will win," Joshua said.