HEAVYWEIGHT champ Tyson Fury has promised to fight Anthony Joshua later this year after his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.
The 32-year-old has been ordered to meet the American in the ring for a third time, leaving his potential bout with fellow Brit AJ in doubt.
Fury told ESPN: “I’ve got to beat up Deontay Wilder a bit better than I did last time, because he didn’t get a good enough hiding last time.
“This time I’m going to really double, double, treble smash him.
“100 per cent [I’ll fight Joshua]. AJ’s got a big mouth and no substance.
“He says I’m the one that does all the talking but if I didn’t talk boxing would be stone dead because I’m the only character alive left in it.
“Let’s say that for a fact. [The Joshua fight] happens this year.
“I’m gonna deal with this mug, Deontay Wilder, I’m knocking him out cold, and then I’m going to deal with the other guy straightaway.”
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
Fury’s bout against Wilder is scheduled to take place on July 26 after an arbitration hearing ruled the two were contractually obliged to fight again.
The WBC champ is the favourite for the scrap after winning their last battle in February 2020, but a defeat for the Brit would cast further doubt over his long-awaited meeting with AJ.
Joshua is also under pressure after he was ordered to face undefeated heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk.
The 34-year-old is a formidable opponent having defeated Tony Bellow at cruiserweight level and Derek Chisora at heavyweight.
A defeat for either Fury or Joshua in their respective fights would take the gloss off an all-British showdown as it would no longer be for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
The sport’s most glamorous division has not had an undisputed champ since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in November 1999.
