Joshua backs bitter rival Fury to beat Wilder again

Anthony Joshua has predicted that bitter heavyweight rival Tyson Fury will defeat Deontay Wilder in their highly awaited trilogy bout next month.

Wilder and the Gypsy King will meet for the third time after a judge ruled on the legitimacy of the American’s right to a rematch after his brutal defeat in Las Vegas in February 2020.

The court decision effectively ended any hope of Joshua and Fury facing off in a massive unification showdown this summer. In September, Joshua will most likely face obligatory opponent Oleksandr Usyk.

During an interview with talkSPORT on Thursday, Joshua was asked who he thought will win between his heavyweight rivals.

After a little pause, Joshua said: “I don’t mind, I don’t mind.

“But Fury won the last one so I’ll go with Fury because you’re only as good as your last performance. But good luck to them both.”

When asked about his immediate plans, Joshua stated that he has “no other option” but to defeat Usyk and continue to work towards that unification fight in the future.

He added: “I’m going to win because I have to. I’ve got no other option and then I’m going to get on to the next fight which is the undisputed.”