Boxing
How Joshua seized control of Fury heavyweight rivalry
Joshua vs. Prenga: Only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
This weekend marks the start of the build-up to one of the biggest heavyweight fights in recent memory, albeit a few years too late.
Within the space of 24 hours, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will take part in warm-up bouts before finally going head-to-head later this year.
Fury will make the first move, he faces the veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday night, before Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga the following evening, exclusively live on DAZN PPV and Ultimate Tier.
As long as both men get wins under their belts, then it will be full steam ahead, and the trash talking and antics will get louder and louder.
While Joshua and Fury have been circling each other for years, the pair have never come face to face in a public setting, but this spell was broken in April.
Following Fury’s comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, ‘The Gypsy King’ called out Joshua, who was sat ringside. While it would have been easy for Joshua to step in the ring, go face-to-face and break the boxing internet, but instead he traded a few words and walked away.
'I’m the landlord'
Fury may have the upper hand when it comes to the gift of the gab, but Joshua has seized control of this rivalry.
Instead of falling into Fury’s trap of engaging in his mind games, Joshua is choosing not to poke his domestic rival until he gets past Prenga on Saturday in Jeddah.
“No, because the contracts weren’t signed. I’ve been in that position before when I’ve signed contracts with Fury, so I didn’t play into the games,” Joshua told DAZN’s Ade Oladipo when asked why he chose not to get in the ring with Fury three months ago.
“I’m not there for games. If the contract was signed, I would have got in the ring.”
Why Anthony Joshua knows he will beat Tyson Fury
Instead, Joshua was ringside at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to get an early look at his long-standing nemesis.
“I was there on a scouting mission; I want to see what my future opponents are going to look like.
“I have to take time out to analyse my opponents, I saw a lot. I saw some good, I saw some vulnerabilities in there.”
Then came a stern message from Joshua who attempted to assert his control on this rivalry.
“It’s a Tyson Fury show, why am I going to get in the ring at a Tyson Fury show.
“If he wants to come in the ring when I win July 25, come into my territory, I’m the landlord. I’m going to welcome you into my home.
“You don’t welcome me into your home; I buy your home. If he wants, come to Jeddah, July 25, we can get face to face because the contracts are signed.”
Will Fury travel to Joshua vs. Prenga fight?
Fury’s clash with Wach on Friday is one shrouded in secrecy.
The heavyweight bout currently has no broadcaster, and it’s likely any footage will not be made public until the new series of ‘At Home with the Fury’s’ is released on Netflix.
But if Fury wins, surely one of boxing’s great characters cannot resist the opportunity to make a quick trip over to Jeddah and do a little bit of scouting of his own.
While it would be no surprise to see Fury ringside in at the Jeddah Superdome, it will be clear sign of Joshua controlling the narrative of this rivalry.
Joshua would no doubt stick to his word and invite Fury into the ring for a face-off, and ‘The Gypsy King’ would lavish this opportunity to steal the spotlight.
But the fact he would be having to do it on a Joshua show shows why ‘AJ’ is calling the shots at the start of this road to the Battle of Britain.
Joshua vs. Prenga - exclusively on DAZN PPV
Watch Anthony Joshua versus Kristian Prenga on Saturday, July 25, as part of a huge 24 hours of boxing on DAZN PPV.
Buy as a one-off PPV or included along with Spence Jr. vs. Tszyu on the same night, and Moses vs. Hrgovic (Aug 29) and Canelo vs. Mbilli (Oct) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
