World-class trainer Shane McGuigan believes fans could be in for a short night when Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally collide on December 11.
Their long-awaited Battle of Britain will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with the winner being crowned a three-time world champion by claiming the WBA ‘super’ title.
The majority are in agreement that their showdown has arrived far too late, however, with neither heavyweight considered to be anywhere near the peak of his powers.
With Fury, his career-best performances came in 2015 and 2020, when he respectively dethroned Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder with resounding points and stoppage victories.
Joshua, meanwhile, has arguably never been the same since his 2017 encounter with Klitschko, which resulted in a hard-fought 11th-round stoppage after he was made to climb off the canvas.
In a broader sense, too, McGuigan has told Ring Magazine that he believes Fury boasts the superior confidence and will ultimately stop ‘AJ’ in the first half of their contest.
“I don’t think it’ll go longer than four or five rounds … maybe six. But I do think it favours the calmer and more natural , who’s probably got more belief in himself.
“Fury doesn’t need a coach to tell him how good he is – he’s always believed in himself – whereas AJ’s a guy that’s built confidence off his wins, off his team, off his promoter … he’s always built that confidence.
“I just look at it and think the guy that’s most confident is going to win, and I believe that’s Fury.”
Adding to McGuigan’s thoughts could also be Joshua’s last performance, which saw him stop Kristian Prenga in the second round after surviving two knockdowns.
