While admitting to being an “AJ fan”, Johnny Nelson has offered a balanced assessment of Anthony Joshua’s chances against Tyson Fury.
The two British heavyweights are expected to collide in November, with New York the likely destination, yet there has been no confirmation of a specific date or location.
It does, however, appear that the wheels are firmly in motion following their respective warm-up fights last month.
For Fury, it was a relatively straightforward, albeit uninspiring, night at the office in Thailand, culminating in a seventh-round stoppage of the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach.
Joshua, on the other hand, encountered a genuine scare against Kristian Prenga, who scored two knockdowns in the opening round of their Saudi Arabia contest.
And while ‘AJ’ ultimately halted his man in the following round, there has been mounting speculation over whether he possesses the necessary punch resistance to compete with Fury.
Naturally, neither fighter is remotely close to their prime, as even the ‘Gypsy King’ showed signs of regression against Wach and, before that, during his unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.
But former cruiserweight champion Nelson has nonetheless told Boxing King Media that he sees the 37-year-old boasting greater advantages than Joshua.
“[Fury’s] not the fighter he was but, [based] on what I saw [last month] … I think he does AJ.
“I’m an AJ fan and I wanna say, ‘Yeah, my man’s gonna do it’. But I think [Fury] does AJ. I think his punch variety [is superior].
“[Against Prenga], the weight was on [Joshua’s] front foot and you’re thinking, ‘What are you doing, man?’ You can only keep saying that so much. You can’t keep making excuses.”
While many will unsurprisingly be favouring Fury, it could be argued that Joshua’s punching power represents a significant advantage, even with his durability showing such rapid deterioration.
