Anthony Joshua’s physio Rob Madden has said the Tyson Fury fight isn’t on the mind of AJ right now.
Back in the first quarter of 2021 it seemed as if it was set in stone for Joshua to finally lock horns with Fury in a British heavyweight superfight. Alas, a court of arbitration ensured that didn’t end up happening, with “The Gypsy King” instead having to take on Deontay Wilder for a third time.
Will Joshua vs Fury ever happen?
They were initially set for war back in July only for a COVID-19 outbreak within Fury’s camp to spoil those plans, pushing the trilogy contest back to October.
The aforementioned Madden spoke about the impact that had on Joshua and where he goes from here.
“I’m not going to lie, it was disappointing for everyone. I was disappointed, obviously AJ very much so,” he said.
“He was ready, he wanted it, we were planning for it. But this is boxing, it’s full of politics. Fury’s not on our minds right now; he can do what he’s doing and we’ll be ready when he is. But Usyk is a tough opponent who demands respect – which he has from AJ and the team. And having that focus is crucial, because Usyk is not a nobody. If you know boxing, you know Usyk is a very, very talented fighter.”
As noted by Madden, Joshua will instead be taking on Oleksandr Usyk in a fight that poses a real risk in its own right. Usyk is unbeaten and while many don’t believe he has the same kind of power at heavyweight that he did at cruiserweight, he’s still a dangerous opponent who isn’t going to stop until he reaches the top of the mountain.
Joshua vs Usyk is scheduled to take place on September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Featured image credit: Getty
