"He has an ‘eff it’ mentality" - Anthony Joshua asks for accountability from Tyson Fury even as he admires Francis Ngannou fight
Anthony Joshua has weighed in on Tyson Fury's epic bout with Francis Ngannou, which sees the two heavyweights collide on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
'AJ' had been in talks to face 'The Gypsy King' on a number of occasions across the last year, with many expecting the bout to have gone ahead. Conversations broke down, however, after claims that Fury and his demands were reguarly changed and deemed unrealistic.
Despite the soured conversations, Joshua has praised Fury for getting the deal over the line with the former UFC heavyweight champion. The 33-year-old even stated that he "admired" Tyson Fury for his mentality in regards to his fighting future.
Speaking to talkSPORT boxing editor Michael Benson, Joshua said:
"Fury has to do what Fury has to do for him. I admire the guy for his confidence to do what’s right for him – he has an ‘eff it’ mentality. I think we all need a bit of that in today’s society. If you want to hold him accountable then yes he should be fighting active fighters and wait until the end of his career, when he’s not champion anymore, to compete with MMA fighters."
Anthony Joshua rules out interest in facing Francis Ngannou in the future
Boxing star Anthony Joshua has ruled out a potential superfight against Francis Ngannou.
'The Predator' had been pushing for his boxing debut against the likes of Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, and managed to strike a deal with 'The Gypsy King' for October.
According to Eddie Hearn, despite the interest from Ngannou, the former WBA heavyweight champ is currently focused on reclaiming the heavyweight titles he lost in 2021.
Hearn, speaking to Michael Benson, revealed that the 33-year-old is only focused on becoming a champion once again. He said:
“Eddie Hearn on what Anthony Joshua told him when they discussed a potential Francis Ngannou fight before Tyson Fury got it: 'He went, 'Absolutely no interest at all, I wanna become heavyweight world champion again, I've got no interest in fighting Francis Ngannou.'' [@talkSPORT],” Michael Benson tweeted.
Eddie Hearn on what Anthony Joshua told him when they discussed a potential Francis Ngannou fight before Tyson Fury got it: “He went, 'Absolutely no interest at all, I wanna become heavyweight world champion again, I've got no interest in fighting Francis Ngannou.'” [@talkSPORT]
After beating Jermaine Franklin earlier this year, Joshua is set to step into the ring once again against Dillian Whyte on August 12 as he looks to build another title charge.