Tyson Fury has offered his take on a potential showdown between Anthony Joshua and Moses Itauma, comparing it to another crossroads clash that occurred in 1996.
While having reportedly agreed to face Fury later this year, ‘AJ’ has also expressed an openness to take on the young lion of his division.
Before anything else, though, the 36-year-old must first complete his warm-up fight against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
This represents his first outing since stopping Jake Paul in six rounds, with his performance followed closely by a tragic car crash that same December month.
Back then, Joshua lost two of his closest friends and was subsequently compelled to recover, both mentally and physically, from the horrific incident in Nigeria.
Fury, meanwhile, has fought as recently as April, but despite unanimously outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov, he is now approaching a second warm-up fight against Mariusz Wach.
The pair will collide in Pattaya, Thailand, later today, though Fury has first taken the time to assess whether a heavyweight encounter between Joshua and Itauma is realistic.
Speaking with Pro Boxing Fans, the 37-year-old seemed doubtful that the fight would even take place, let alone deliver a competitive contest.
“One man’s past his best and one man’s on the rise. If one man’s on the edge [of retirement] and one man’s on the rise, then it’s not really a fight.
“It’s a bit like when [Julio Cesar] Chavez fought [Oscar] De La Hoya – one man was at the end of his career and one man was on the rise in his career.
“So [Joshua-Itauma is] not a fight that will ever happen.”
At just 21 years old, Itauma will likely secure a world title shot if he gets past seasoned contender Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on August 29.
