On a recent taping of The Jonathan Ross Show, Anthony Joshua says he’s stored every insult Tyson Fury has ever thrown at him to use against his rival at a later date.
The British heavyweight star, who held the sport’s biggest prize twice, discussed his victory over Francis Ngannou and his future career.
Joshua’s episode airs on Saturday night as the big-punching Londoner opened up about respecting other fighters and his ongoing attempts to get Fury into the ring.
Fury has two fights with Oleksandr Usyk to deal with, one in May and potentially one in December. AJ is playing the waiting game after demolishing Ngannou in two rounds.
In contrast, Fury went the distance with Ngannou and was dropped by the former UFC champion. Joshua began by discussing a placid event last month, with little trash talk compared to Fury vs Ngannou five months earlier.
“You don’t get along with some fighters, so sometimes there’s no conversation afterward. There’s a level of respect as well – and I had a lot of respect. I encouraged him because the guy’s had an amazing career. Don’t let that one blip in his career become the defining moment. I’ve lost before – it’s tough,” AJ said on The Jonathan Ross Show, airing this Saturday at 9:35 p.m. on ITV1 and ITVX.
“I was preparing for ten rounds, tough fight. The guy is a big, strong guy from a different feel because he’s an MMA fighter. He’s a tough guy. I thought I would still be victorious, and it happened a lot sooner than I expected.”
He added whether the ‘trash talk’ can affect him: “100%. You take it personally, and you meditate on it. You want to punish them for what they said about you,” before addressing the king of mind games, Fury.
“This is one of my rivals. This is someone I want to compete with one day, so everything he says, I’ve got it all stored in the back of my memory, and when the fight happens, I’m going to use it as a lot of fuel.”
Joshua covered some personal issues with Ross, too. He pointed out that his son is starting to get sporty, just as he was as a child. Joshua was more of a footballer in his early days and sees his offspring heading in the same direction.
“I think football [for my son]. He’s eight now – it’s crazy how fast time goes.” Asked whether he’ll allow him to come to see him fight, AJ added: “Yeah, definitely. I’m not doing it forever, so come down and have a good time and experience. Even in the bad times, he’s been there.”
Sitting alongside Tom Allen, the comedian joked to Joshua that he’s been doing some boxing exercises himself.
“I’ve been training for five years, actually. It’s very good exercise. I really like it,” said Tom. “I’ve been enjoying it, and apparently, I have quite a strong left hook, but I’m not very good with an uppercut.
“I do it outside my house, and the children from the local school walk past and laugh at me,” he concluded.
The much-loved Monty Python star and travelogue icon Sir Michael Palin joins Joshua, Lulu, Allen, and award-winning comedian Laura Smyth on this week’s show. Plus, the winner of Best British Group at the 2024 BRITs Jungle will be performing in the studio.
Watch The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday at 9:35 p.m. on ITV1 and ITVX.
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