Anthony Joshua has launched a fresh, blistering attack on long-time rival Tyson Fury, pledging to finish what Oleksandr Usyk started and knock the Gypsy King out. The former two-time world heavyweight champion made the comments ahead of his lucrative showdown with YouTube star Jake Paul in Miami this Friday.
The Road to Miami and a £70m Payday
The Brit, fighting for the first time in 15 months, is set to bank a staggering £70 million for his sanctioned heavyweight clash with the social media sensation turned boxer. Despite the enormous financial incentive, Joshua has insisted his focus remains solely on delivering what he calls a "reality check" to Paul at the December 19 event, which will be streamed globally on Netflix.
Concerns have been raised about the clear disparity in size and experience between the former unified champion and Paul, a cruiserweight with a professional record of 12 wins and one loss. Unfazed, Paul stated he is ready for Joshua's "hardest punches" and aims to pull off the biggest upset in sporting history.
A Decade-Long Feud Ignites Anew
However, Joshua's sights are firmly set beyond this weekend. A blockbuster all-British showdown with Tyson Fury is tentatively pencilled in for next September, assuming both men navigate expected warm-up bouts in the spring and Joshua avoids a seismic shock defeat in Florida.
The bitter feud between the two heavyweight giants has simmered for over a decade without them ever meeting in the ring. It reignited this week after Fury criticised Joshua for saying he could "kill" Paul in the ring. Joshua fired back with both barrels during an appearance on The Ring podcast.
Joshua's Scathing Assessment of Fury
"I'm in my own lane and I'm fighting Jake; he is my focus," said Joshua. "Tyson can sit around doing videos, but he's not the one getting in the ring. Why am I sitting around waiting for a guy that likes to do more Instagram videos than fight? I'm looking for real fighters and Tyson's not a real fighter in my eyes."
He then referenced Fury's epic battle with Oleksandr Usyk, where the champion was nearly stopped. "He nearly got knocked out. I wish Usyk caught him with one more shot. I was on the edge of my seat... I wish Usyk knocked him out. He needs to be humbled. But I swear if I ever got the opportunity, I'll make sure I lay him flat on his back and that's it."
Doubling down on his earlier controversial language, Joshua defended his 'kill' comment when asked about Fury's criticism. "That’s my job. We fight. We have a licence to kill. Many people don’t understand it, but this is what my job is," he stated bluntly.
Paul's Ambitions and the Netflix Spectacle
For his part, Jake Paul remains defiantly confident and has already shared a wishlist of future opponents that includes Fury, Terence Crawford, and Canelo Alvarez. "No one’s done more for the sport of boxing in the last decade than myself," Paul claimed. "I think if people really cared about boxing, they’d want me to win."
The fight in Miami represents a major moment for the sport's broadcasting landscape, being available to stream live on Netflix at no extra cost to subscribers. For UK fans, the platform can be accessed via Sky's TV bundles, bringing the event to a potentially massive global audience.
All eyes will now be on the ring in Miami this Friday night to see if Anthony Joshua can handle business as expected, clearing the path for a long-awaited, explosive domestic clash with Tyson Fury that British fight fans have dreamed of for years.
