Peter Fury thinks Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will fight this year

Tyson Fury

PETER FURY, uncle and trainer of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is confident his charge will square off with Anthony Joshua later this year.

Fury currently holds the WBA and WBO titles, while Joshua won the IBF title previously stripped from Fury at the weekend when he knocked Charles Martin out in two rounds.

Attention has turned to a potential megafight between Fury and Joshua, though Tyson must beat Wladimir Klitschko again in their rematch on July 9 first.

“Tyson and Joshua, especially now that Joshua is IBF champion, is great for British boxing so letโ€™s get these two in the ring towards the end of the year in a blockbuster,” Fury told Boxing News.

“I think theyโ€™ll fight this year, why not? We want it, they [Joshua’s team] want it, so what can stop it? Letโ€™s see where all the talking goes. I hope theyโ€™re ready to take it, thereโ€™s been a lot of talk from their camp.

“Itโ€™s got all the makings towards a blockbuster at the end of the year, provided Tyson gets through Wladimir, which is no foregone conclusion.”

Peter also addressed comments from Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, which implied a parent would want their child to aspire to be like Joshua, rather than Tyson.

Peter has served two stints in prison, one for possession and intent to supply amphetamine, the other for drug related money-laundering, and likened his own criminal past to Joshua’s.

“Letโ€™s not forget, Iโ€™m an ex-criminal myself and Joshuaโ€™s got a record similar to me [Joshua avoided jail after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis in 2011]. Tyson Furyโ€™s got a parking ticket to his name, Joshuaโ€™s got a drug conviction,” he said.

“Iโ€™ve got drug convictions, I donโ€™t shout from the rooftops that Iโ€™m a role model. Iโ€™m a realist. Iโ€™m not a role model, Iโ€™m an ex-convict.

“But Eddie Hearn is a great promoter, theyโ€™ve done a fantastic job with Joshua and full credit where itโ€™s due. Now heโ€™s a world champion, itโ€™s fantastic. Whenโ€™s the last time we had two heavyweight world champions from the same country?”

Tyson’s father, the inimitable John Fury, insists that his son has not received the respect he deserves after beating Klitschko and Peter agrees.

He said: “Tyson, not only did he beat the linear champion who was undefeated for 11 years, he went to Germany to do it. Nobodyโ€™s done it. Credit needs to be given where itโ€™s due, Tyson Fury right now is the best heavyweight in the world. Weโ€™re looking to cement that in the rematch.”

Though Tyson is happy the fight is in Manchester, he claims the location of his clash with Klitschko was no issue, as long as it was not in Germany.

The original date for their first meeting at the ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf was scrapped after Wladimir picked up an injury, meaning some fans lost money on hotels and flights they had already booked.

Peter is glad that no such issues should affect UK fans now that the rematch is on these shores.

“Itโ€™s nice for the fans to have it in England, Iโ€™m pleased for them. Last time there were delays, people losing money from flights and hotels. So itโ€™s brilliant for UK boxing, itโ€™s nice to have it here,” he said.

“Full credit to BoxNation [who will broadcast the fight in the UK], theyโ€™ve been a big cog in this wheel getting this fight on.”

After the lacklustre first fight between the two giants, Klitschko was criticised for not being aggressive enough, in particular with his famed right hand.

The Fury camp are expecting a much livelier Klitschko in the return, so much so that Peter revealed his camp with Tyson will be drastically different.

He said: “Weโ€™ll do everything differently. The tactics for this fight will be different, Iโ€™ve got an idea in my mind of what weโ€™ll do, we just need to execute it. Weโ€™re in for a more exciting fight this time, Iโ€™m expecting a knockout. I think Klitschkoโ€™s going to bring it.”

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