ANTHONY JOSHUA has labelled the Tyson Fury fight ‘a warm up act’ and believes his fellow Brit is close to retirement.
The two heavyweight champions are well down the line on talks to set up an undisputed clash.
And Joshua has promised to ‘close the show’ when they finally get it on in the ring and take home all the belts.
Last time out AJ stopped gritty Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round – and all eyes immediately turned to the Fury Battle of Britain.
Speaking to JD Sports’ Road To Undisputed, Joshua, 31, has promised the Fury fight is just the start, and not the end.
He said: “He (Fury) can bring whatever he wants, it don’t matter to me.
“The press conference antics, the fight antics, the hands behind the back, I love that stuff that’s all part of it you know that’s his job, but my job is to close the show.
“He’s a warm-up act [with his antics], he’s there to do all that stuff but ultimately my job is to close the show and that’s all that matters.
“For him, he said that after he fights me, maybe he fights Chisora, then he’s ready to go off into the sunset.
“For me, I’ve still got so much more I want to do in this boxing game, the road to undisputed is part of the journey it’s not the end to the journey.
“That’s why I know I will get past this fight because I’m looking past him, I want more, this isn’t where this stops.
“The fight, god-willing, will be this year, I’m saying it is going to be this year, I’m going to speak into existence and I will be victorious.”
Last week, AJ revealed the Fury fight was close to being given the green light with the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts all be on the line for the first time in heavyweight history.
Joshua even hinted at an early summer showdown date, saying: “June should be the date.
“Trust me. For the fans, for the people that have been calling it on for many, many months.
“Shoutout to Fury and his team as well, hungry go-getters, that’s what we are.
“UK stand up. And to the world – we’re bringing it. I can’t wait. Undisputed.”
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
A non-disclosure agreement has prevented both parties from sharing key details of the negotiations.
Both men agreed on a two-fight deal last June, although the finer details of their clash were only just recently finalised.
Fury set up the clash when he handed Deontay Wilder his first ever defeat as a pro with a seventh-round stoppage win in February 2020.
