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Anthony Joshua has backed Tyson Fury to “hurt or out-box” Deontay Wilder in the pair’s heavyweight rematch next month.
Fury challenges Wilder for his WBC world title on 22 February in Las Vegas, having twice gotten up from the canvas in their first meeting, which ended in a controversial draw in December 2018.
Joshua, who insists he is a “different beast” after regaining his IBF, WBA and WBO world titles against Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia, is expected to fight his mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in June in London.
Asked who he favours between Fury and Wilder, Joshua told Sky Sports : ”Wilder coming through is better because [a fight with me] is what people have been eagerly anticipating. But I think Fury can win. For Wilder to win he has to knock Fury completely out, and he couldn’t do that the first time.
“For Fury to win, he can hurt Wilder or out-box him. Fury has more to his arsenal so that’s why I’m leaning to him.
Show all 16 1 /16Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 15. Oscar Rivas, Colombia Amid all the fallout of Dillian Whyte’s issue with UKAD, Oscar Rivas’ success in their bout last summer is easily overlooked. He staggered the Briton in the ninth round, was relentless coming forwards, and only lost by a narrow points decision on away soil. There are flaws suggesting he can be easily outboxed, though, with his victory against Bryant Jennings coming in the 12th round when trailing significantly on the scorecards. Beyond that, his resume is far from impressive. But against an opponent who can’t sustain a jab and move style, the Colombian remains very dangerous (TK).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 14. Alexander Povetkin, Russia Close to a world title shot in 2016, Povetkin was due to face Deontay Wilder for his WBC crown but later tested positive for banned substances. The Russian is in the closing stages of his career and put in a performance just about good enough to gift him victory against Hughie Fury, while he looked slow and lethargic against Michael Hunter recently. The opportunities of more world title shots are still realistic but will need to come inside the next year or two for Povetkin to stand any real chance of victory. A good career packed full of wins and a knockout of David Price which will live long in the memory of boxing fans
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 13. Adam Kownacki, Poland ‘Babyface’ is one to watch in 2020, with Al Haymon guiding his career. Kownacki was always mentioned as a potential opponent for Deontay Wilder – also managed by Haymon. Kownacki’s standout performance was against the admittedly limited Chris Arreola, who notably threw a CompuBox record 1125 punches in the points win. Durable and able to crack, Kownacki is in an excellent position to emerge as a contender in the near future (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 12. Jarrell Miller, USA Before ‘Big Baby’ threw the toys out the pram after failing a drugs test and costing himself a world title shot, Miller was rising up through the heavyweight ranks with an undefeated record of 23 wins and one draw. Sure, it’s a record that does not feature a single standout name, but the Miller we last saw was proving to be one of the better contenders among the division’s also-rans. How much was that down to the juice? Well, we’ll see once he finally returns to the ring (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 11. Michael Hunter, USA Hunter: A fantastic amateur-turned-professional, Michael Hunter just misses out on the top 10 but is starting to make a name for himself in the division. Just one defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in the cruiserweight division, Hunter is now making a case for a world title shot next year. A stellar performance led to a controversial draw against Alexander Povetkin on the undercard of Ruiz vs Joshua II, a fight many neutrals had Hunter winning. At just 6'2 he could struggle against the biggest boys in the heavyweight division but is begnning to look every bit like he could be a regular at the top.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 10. Filip Hrgovic, Croatia The Croatian is a rising star in the heavyweight division and his presence inside the top 10 will raise eyebrows. But after dispatching Eric Molina in quick time, El Animal will be hovering on the brink of earning a world title shot throughout 2020. His athleticism and towering frame mean he ticks the requisite boxes to be a test for anybody; the volume of shots is impressive and the chopping hooks, whipped in from unorthodox angles (for a heavyweight) will make him a problem in the coming years (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 9. Kubrat Pulev, Bulgaria The Bulgarian was embroiled in a controversial episode earlier this year with a female broadcaster, but now, under Bob Arum, Pulev appears primed to get his shot at a world title again as the IBF mandatory. His hopes of pulling off an upset, should Joshua decide to fulfil his mandatory, appear remote, given he was struggling to distinguish himself against Bogdan Dinu before a 7th round knockout, which was followed up by a pedestrian points decision over little-known Rydell Booker. The only other notable performance in recent years was his clear-cut decision over Hughie Fury. Will not be an opponent most will be desperate to watch against the champions.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 8. Joseph Parker, New Zealand The former WBO heavyweight champion made two successful defences of his title before losing it to Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision a year and a half ago. At just 27 he has yet to reach his peak and really find his feet in the division, but already has a solid resume and originally won the belt in a close decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. His punch selection is excellent but when it has come to the big fights, those against Joshua and Dillian Whyte, Parker has come up just short and failed to let his hands go - but always given a good account of himself. Now partnered with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, Parker has got himself back to winning ways and will look to rise up the division once again (AH).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 7. Luis Ortiz, Cuba It’s hard to know what Luis Ortiz has left in the tank at this point. He came within seconds of victory in his first fight against Deontay Wilder, and won almost every second before being stopped by a single punch in their rematch last month. That second loss may turn out to be a final swansong and payday for the Cuban veteran, sapping away any motivation to step down the rungs again. Nevertheless, if he's willing to persevere, the southpaw is as technically complete as any heavyweight and still one of the division’s hardest punchers.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 6. Andy Ruiz Jr, USA Andy Ruiz: The ‘Destroyer’ was anything but in his rematch with Joshua, which was a huge shame as he looked to have transformed the ‘big three’ into a quartet. But the way that he did for Joshua in their first bout should act as a firm reminder of what Ruiz can do if he applies himself in training, and with some of the fastest hands in the division and the power to back it up, he remains a dangerous opponent who may just have had the wake-up call he needed to take the next step up (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 5. Oleksandr Usyk, Ukraine There is very little evidence so far in his heavyweight journey after a debut against fodder in the form of Chazz Witherspoon. The polished skills of Usyk would be a nightmare for both Wilder and Joshua, though their hulking power may ultimately prove decisive - we must see how Usyk takes a shot against a powerful heavyweight. How Usyk deals with the length of Fury remains a mystery too; at his best the Gypsy King could set up a wall between himself and the Ukrainian in the form of his jab, so let's see how Usyk gets on during the infancy of his spell at heavyweight before crowning him (JR).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 4. Dillian Whyte, UK With just the one loss to Anthony Joshua on his record and a string of 11 straight victories behind him, Whyte is hammering at the door for a world title shot and has been dodged by the ‘big three’ for the last two years. The ‘Body Snatcher’ has demonstrated frightening knockout power against Lucas Browne and Dereck Chisora as well as an ability to grind out the wins too, and though he is yet to reach to the very top of the division, he’s about as close as you can get before reaching it (JDM).
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 3. Deontay Wilder, USA Stunned by Fury in seven brutal rounds, the American bully was bullied by Tyson Fury, does he dare activate the rematch clause for a trilogy? We'll soon find out.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 2. Anthony Joshua, UK - WBA, IBF and WBO champion Back on track with the smartest victory of his career to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from Andy Ruiz, Joshua can once again look for the fights that will come to define him. Each man in the top three of the division has their own strengths that could see them beat the two others, and for Joshua it is his power blended with an imposing style and the ability to vary his gameplan that he believes will see him come out on top. Whether he will remains to be seen, but the Watford native is back on the right path to see if he can go on and join the greats.
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Indy Sport’s heavyweight world rankings 1. Tyson Fury, UK - WBC champion True to his word, he dismantled Deontay Wilder in seven rounds in a way very few truly believed possible. Heavier and more aggressive than ever, the clear No 1 in the division and now a nightmare for Anthony Joshua should they ever fight with the Kronk influence
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“Fury can punch a bit. He’s underestimated with his punching power which makes him dangerous. If you underestimate someone it makes them dangerous because you don’t respect them until you get hit.
“Fury is a really good boxer, to a certain degree, so he has the upper hand. Wilder isn’t the best of boxers but he has a right hand – if you can avoid that, you have the beating of him.
“Good luck to Fury – it would be great to have two heavyweight champions here in England.”
Wilder and Fury have reportedly already agreed terms for a trilogy fight later this year, however, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping to throw a “curveball” that derails those plans.
Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury meet against on 22 February (Getty) Hearn admitted he believes it would be easier to negotiate terms with Fury for an undisputed heavyweight title fight.
“Wilder said he has no interest in Joshua, and Joshua is irrelevant. That is baffling,” Hearn said. “That’s why I want Fury to win because I know he’s up for it! One phone call with me, [Fury’s US-based promoter] Bob Arum and [Fury’s management] MTK.
“AJ wants to fight Fury, Fury wants to fight AJ. It’s a two-minute call with MTK and Bob Arum, done deal. But I’m not sure who will win [Wilder vs Fury 2]. The comments worry me that we’re in the same position. The winner of that fight will be under so much pressure to fight Joshua that, this time, it will be unavoidable.
“The curveball is in terms of; those guys are preparing for their [third fight] and we have an opportunity in place that we can present to the winner to move them away from [a third fight].
Joshua added: “I’m still clawing after the last belt that’s out there. I know I’ll get my hands on it eventually. I don’t want to do what Andy Ruiz Jr did, and lose it straight away. I want to hold it for a number of years. Trust me, a different beast has been awoken.”
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