RICKY HATTON is urging Tyson Fury to fight Anthony Joshua ‘sooner rather than later’ but would pick the WBO & WBA champion to win.
Joshua picked up the IBF title previously stripped from Fury when he knocked Charles Martin out in two rounds at the weekend, and attention quickly turned to a potential meeting between ‘AJ’ and Fury.
Hatton is confident a Fury-Joshua fight can be made, but feels the Wilmslow giant should not wait around for it, provided he wins his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.
“I believe any fight can be made if the fighters actually want it,” he told Boxing News.
“Fury-Joshua would be huge. If I were Tyson, I would want to get Joshua sooner rather than later because he’s going to improve.
“It’s hard to argue his [Joshua’s] unbelievable achievement, winning the world title after 16 fights, but Tyson beat the man. That’s the yard stick at the minute.”
Joshua, who has only gone past the third round twice as a pro, has looked sensational so far, though admittedly against lower-tier opposition.
Hatton is confident he will come on in time, but feels Fury would have the edge at the moment if the pair were to meet.
“Joshua’s a great fighter, hell of a nice guy. So explosive, you would say a little bit musclebound but believe you-me he doesn’t fight like it, he’s fast and fluid. Give him some time and some experience he will be even better,” he mused.
“At the minute I would lean toward Tyson, he’s tall and big and has got the experience, and he can get in your head. He likes to pull and sway and dip away from punches. It’s very easy for Anthony to nail someone like Charles Martin, who stood in front of him, I don’t think Tyson will do that.
“I don’t think Joshua has fought anyone like that yet. Everyone he’s fought has stood in front of him and he’s banged them out. My advice would be to get him some fights against people who can mirror what Tyson does, so then he’s got a better chance if it does happen. He needs the rounds too.”
Hatton also tipped Fury to beat Klitschko in their rematch, which will take place at the Manchester Arena.
He said: “I think Fury will put in a better performance against Klitschko. Winning the title in Germany, that’ll give him even more confidence and in his hometown he will relish it and look even better.”
