Anthony Joshua has been told he is not yet prepared for a blockbuster fight against Tyson Fury, despite his knockout victory over Jake Paul last Friday night.
Trainer's verdict after Miami win
The stark assessment comes from Joshua's new trainer, Iegor Golub, who believes the former two-time unified heavyweight champion requires at least one more bout before stepping into the ring with the 'Gypsy King'. Joshua ended a 15-month hiatus, stemming from a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, with a sixth-round stoppage of the YouTuber-turned-boxer in Miami.
The fight itself was far from a classic. The 36-year-old from Watford finally secured the win in the sixth, having knocked Paul down twice in the fifth round. It was a crucial, if uninspiring, return to action for Joshua, who has now linked up with the training team of Oleksandr Usyk, including Golub, for the latter stages of his career.
"Fury is a very dangerous boxer"
Golub did not hold back in his post-fight analysis. Speaking to The Voice of Boxing, he stated plainly that Joshua needs more preparation. "We need one more fight before Fury," Golub said. "Fury is a very dangerous boxer. He has a lot of skills, a good intellectual fighter, he must be ready for this, not now."
This call for patience comes despite Joshua's immediate call-out of Fury in the ring after defeating Paul. The former champion issued a direct challenge, saying: "And if Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is... Step in the ring with me next if you are a real bad boy. Don't do all of that talking 'AJ this, AJ that.' Let's see you in the ring and talk with your fists."
The path to a British super-fight
Reports have swirled that Fury and Joshua are on a collision course for a historic all-British showdown next year. However, both men are expected to take separate tune-up fights first, potentially paving the way for a summer clash. Joshua's performance against Paul highlighted why a warm-up bout might be essential, with the fighter himself admitting he used the contest to get vital minutes in the ring ahead of a planned February return.
The war of words between the two heavyweights has been escalating. Fury, who is expected to end his retirement next spring, previously branded Joshua "classless" after comments made before the Paul fight. In a social media rant, Fury said: "He's barking up the wrong tree, idiot... You're a classless loser, coming off a 15-month knockout defeat to a local lad."
Promoter Frank Warren has indicated that the fight can happen if the financial terms are right. "What will encourage Tyson is the financial aspect of it," Warren told Sky Sports. "Tyson has his price. If he gets his price, he'll be in there to fight him." He added that the venue would be decided solely by where the most money could be generated.
As for Jake Paul, the social media star faces a difficult recovery. He confirmed he underwent surgery for a broken jaw sustained in the fight and will be eating liquids for seven days. He was driven to hospital immediately after his defeat.
