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Boxing

Anthony Joshua is dangerous but will fight a versatile Tyson Fury, says trainer

Alexander Netherton
Anthony Joshua is dangerous but will fight a versatile Tyson Fury, says trainerDAZN
SugarHill Steward said his fighter will be a difficult opponent for Joshua.

Tyson Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward has warned against complacency ahead of his fighter’s clash with four-belt heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

The trainer praised Joshua for his showing against Kubrat Pulev in his December bout after 2019’s fight in Saudi Arabia against Andy Ruiz.

SugarHill, speaking via the MyBettingSites.co.uk blog, said: “He showed a lot of good things in that fight [Pulev], I was very impressed. His patience, he was relentless, he was pushing the issue. It was impressive. Anthony Joshua is a dangerous fight, period. From what I saw in that fight he really put his stuff together. 

“I thought he took the risks. He didn’t fight anything like he fought against Ruiz the second time. That’s the one he didn’t take the risks in. He fought with a different style and now I believe he’s comfortable with it.

"He did take risks in that Pulev fight, he didn’t shy away and just wait - he was right there. He was aggressive and I thought it was a great fight and great performance by Anthony Joshua. Anthony Joshua is one of the top fighters in the division, one of the top fighters in the world, with his skills and experience. He’s one of those guys who keeps practising. It’s going to be a tough fight. He’s got a ton of experience, he’s got the height, good balance, good power, timing - there’s so much that Anthony Joshua has - that’s a very dangerous package.”

Steward also said that Joshua would have to prepare for ‘two different Furys’ given the WBC and Ring Magazine champion’s versatility.

“Tyson’s unpredictable in the ring, he does not know what he’s going to do next,” he said.

“Maybe he will just come out and just box [versus Joshua]. Who knows what the game plan will be?

“Everybody has to think about so many different things with Tyson. Is he going to come out at you or not? Now you have to train two different ways; somebody coming at you and somebody boxing you. It starts to get a little difficult then preparing for something like that.

"You have to prepare for so many different styles with Tyson Fury, that makes things a lot more difficult.”

Steward is so enthused with the possibilities for Fury that he even suggested he could fight one fighter a month over 10 months.

"Remember the movie Diggstown with Louis Gossett Jr, he had to fight ten guys within days or something,” he explained.

“Let’s get Tyson to do that. Let’s put him in there for a fight a month. If he’s ready let's give him a fight a month against the top ten guys and take on each contender. Old school boxing like Ray Robinson, they fought, then they fought three weeks later.

"Why not fight if you stay ready? What a challenge and what statement that would be. A lot of fighters want to fight once or twice a year, but if you’re ready why not fight? 

"I told Tyson that and he just smiled. I don’t think he’d mind it. He just smiled and laughed, one of those Tyson Fury laughs. Tyson’s a throwback fighter, he likes all that old school stuff."

Fury and Joshua have signed their two-fight deal, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed.