Two-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez has weighed in on the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury debate following the news that the fight has been signed for later this year.
Pending a ‘warm-up’ fight each, Joshua and Fury will finally face off at an as-yet-undecided location after years of their careers running parallel.
Though the fight would have had greater significance some years ago, there is little doubt it will be one of the biggest in British boxing history, given the profiles of both men and their achievements in the heavyweight division. They are now in the twilight of their careers, but Fury’s size and slick boxing skills still contrast sharply with Joshua’s textbook technique and knockout power, making for an intriguing stylistic matchup.
Speaking on Inside the Ring, Lopez backed ‘AJ’ to beat ‘The Gypsy King’, citing his recent training link-up with Team Oleksandr Usyk as a deciding factor.
“I would go for Joshua against Fury. I think that, with him working with Usyk, they’ve got a good game plan … I notice that there’s a big change from the Jake Paul fight, where he’s just bouncing a lot more, catching his rhythm, and that’s gonna give some more problems for Fury.”
Joshua began training with former rival Usyk, who has beaten both him and Fury twice to cement himself as the best heavyweight of this generation, last year.
The Brit’s first outing under this new set-up came against Jake Paul, so a clearer picture may emerge when he faces Kristian Prenga on July 25. Fury, meanwhile, is expected to return in Dublin on August 1, though his opponent has yet to be confirmed.
