Anthony Joshua has vowed to fight Tyson Fury before he retires because it’s a clash every boxing fan wants to see.
The WBO, WBA (Super), and IBF champion takes on Oleksandr Usyk later this month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is hopeful he would fight Fury next.
“Do I need Tyson Fury on my record? I need it,” Joshua tells Steve Bunce on the 5 Live Boxing podcast.
“Fight good fighters and they bring out the best of you.”
Talks over an undisputed between the British pair collapsed during the summer, but Joshua says a showdown with Fury is hugely important to him.
“We need it for boxing,” he adds. “Training camp is hard. To get better is very difficult in boxing. To fight Tyson Fury is a big challenge.
“I’m going to put that pressure on myself to actually get better. But it’s what we all need, I need it. Come on, let’s see how good I am.
“Let’s see how far I can take myself during this period. It’ll be a good challenge mentally. Not about him, but because I actually want to do well.
“When I wake up in the morning early and I’m tired, my body’s battered, I still go out and do what I do. It’s great rewards and only someone like Fury can give that to me.”
Fury fights Deontay Wilder in their trilogy clash next month and both heavyweights will need to win their respective bouts for the undisputed bout to go ahead next year.
