Tyson Fury Promises to Trade Punches and Knock Out Anthony Joshua on Dec. 11
Fury and Joshua went face to face in London to officially announce their December 11 Netflix fight from Cardiff.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally stood across from each other at a London press conference on Tuesday, officially confirming what the boxing world has waited years to see. The two former heavyweight champions will collide on December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, with Netflix streaming the fight live.
Fury did not hold back on his intentions. "I ain't gonna run away, I'm gonna throw down," Fury told the crowd. "I'm gonna catch him, and when I do it's gonna be curtains." It was the kind of line only Fury delivers with a straight face and a half-grin, and the room ate it up.
The press conference was largely respectful, with Fury offering several compliments toward Joshua throughout the event. But the Gypsy King still found time to poke at AJ over the A-side debate, jabbing that he was the bigger name and even offering to have a drink with Joshua after the fight. Joshua, for his part, stayed composed and let his resume do the talking.
The fight has been years in the making. Negotiations dragged on for months, and the saga goes back even further if you count every failed attempt to get these two in the ring together. At one point, Joshua's team reportedly threatened to boycott the press conference entirely unless Fury enrolled in VADA drug testing, adding late drama to what was supposed to be a celebration.
Fury's stated game plan is simple: close the distance, trade leather, and look for the finish. Whether he actually fights that way is another question. Fury has historically been at his best when he uses movement and ring IQ, but committing to exchanges gives Joshua, one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history, a real chance to land something fight-ending.
With roughly 10 weeks until fight night, the buildup is officially underway. Cardiff is expected to pack out, and Netflix is banking on this being one of the biggest combat sports events of the year.
This fight is about five years late, and we all know it. Both guys are past their absolute primes, and that is what it is. But I still want to see it, and I think most of you do too. Fury saying he is going to walk Joshua down and trade with him sounds great on a stage in London. Whether he actually does it in Cardiff is a different conversation. Fury is at his best when he makes you miss and counters. If he really stands in the pocket with AJ, he is playing with fire, because Joshua can still crack harder than almost anyone on the planet.
I think Fury wins a boxing match. I think Joshua wins a fight. If Fury is serious about trading, this does not go the distance. My gut says Fury is too smart to actually brawl for 12 rounds, but the fact that he is even talking like this tells me he respects Joshua enough to know he cannot just outbox him clean. Cardiff is going to be electric. I cannot wait.
