Sport

Tyson Fury brands Anthony Joshua 'pumped up weightlifter'

Tyson Fury, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, and fellow fighter Nathan Gorman during a press conference in London on Wednesday<br />Picture by PA
Tyson Fury, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, and fellow fighter Nathan Gorman during a press conference in London on Wednesday
Picture by PA
Tyson Fury, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, and fellow fighter Nathan Gorman during a press conference in London on Wednesday
Picture by PA

TYSON FURY has branded Anthony Joshua a "pumped up weightlifter" and warned Wladimir Klitschko he is for "another hiding" in their rematch this summer.

Fury, the WBA and WBO heavyweight champion, defeated Klitschko on points in Germany last November and will go up against the Ukrainian again on July 9 at the MEN Arena.

Anticipation is also growing around a potential all-British unification fight with Joshua, who clinched the IBF title last Saturday after beating defending champion Charles Martin at London's O2 Arena.

Fury called out Joshua immediately after the victory, labelling him "slow" and "ponderous" on Twitter, and he continued his war of words with the London 2012 gold medalist on Wednesday.

"I thought he looked like a pumped up weightlifter, out of his mind on drugs," Fury said of Joshua's win.

"He fought an American who came to lay down and had about as much fight in him as this glass of water there, zero." 

Fury continued: "The British public is thrilled by bums. You might be brainwashed by a p***y like Eddie Hearn.

"The fight I have to worry about is Wlad because he is 10 times the man of any of them world champions. You don't hold a belt for 10 years if you're no good. It's no good talking about these bums until I get past him. Providing I do that, I'll fight all of them. I'll take on the British first because they're the easiest. I'll leave the Americans until afterwards."

Fury's team had looked into staging the rematch against Klitschko at a football stadium, including Old Trafford, but the date was too close to the end of the Barclays Premier League season.

Fighting on home turf, however, gives Fury a significant advantage and he is confident he will see off Klitschko again: "If he doesn't do something different, he is on for another hiding," Fury said.

"He has to come and try and fight. He couldn't fight me first time with his A-game, so he won't on his second. It wasn't very important for the fight to be in Manchester, but it was very important that I wasn't going back to Germany.

"I wouldn't go back, end of. I wouldn't get a decision. It's in England. Wherever it was, I wasn't bothered. As I am the gypsy king, I don't have a hometown. Wherever I want to go is my hometown."

Towards the end of another lively press conference, Fury's father John took the microphone to accuse the British public and press of "racism" and disrespect towards his son: "He's got about as much respect for you lot as you have for him," Fury senior said.

"You should get behind a home-grown Manchester man and give him the credit he deserves. He's the best heavyweight in the world. If I had Anthony Joshua, I'd wrap him up in cotton wool. He's laying golden eggs at the moment because, give the public a con job, and they'll get right behind it.

"Tyson Fury is the best thing ever to come off these shores and has he got any respect? Where's my son? Nowhere. Do you know why? Because it's racism. He's from the wrong background. If he was out of Peckham estate, he would be having tea with the Queen-mother and being took round in an open-top bus."