Anthony Joshua is set for a career defining fight when he faces unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia next month.
Joshua was beaten on points when the pair first met last September, and as a result has made significant changes to his camp, including the promotion of Angel Fernandez to head trainer and bringing in American coach Robert Garcia.
Before these changes were announced, an unlikely name threw his hat in the ring to help Joshua overcome Usyk, WBC world heavyweight champion and British rival Tyson Fury. The world’s number one heavyweight offered to train the Olympic gold medallist for free in the hope of landing an undisputed fight in the near future.
Speaking exclusively to DAZN courtesy of FreeBets.com, Tyson’s father, John Fury, is convinced Tyson would have created the perfect gameplan for Joshua to beat Usyk.
“If AJ had listened to Tyson and let him handle him for this one time only, Usyk wouldn't have been a problem. He's a problem now,” Fury said.
“Do I think the plan he has from these so-called new trainers is going to work?
“Not with a man like Usyk. He's a special fighter, Usyk. He's very talented. You've got to pay mind to detail. Small detail beats a man like Usyk. I think they're going to overlook that.”
It’s expected Joshua will have to opt for a more aggressive approach in his rematch with Usyk, something which he didn’t do in the first fight. However, if Usyk is able to move freely around the ring and frustrate the former two-time world champion, it could be a similar result to that September night at Tottenham Hotspur according to Fury.
“AJ has a bigger problem now than he had last time because Usyk knows him know. He knows his strengths, he knows how hard he can punch, what he does best and what he doesn't do. They're going to work on things he doesn't do. This is the problem. It's a tall order.
“Heavyweight boxing is one punch. AJ's got the size and strength to clip him and it could be all over. But the form book says, Usyk is like trying to pick an eel up out of cold water. He's slippery, moving all over the place. He's awkward for anybody.”
When it came to discussing Tyson’s offer to train Joshua, his father John revealed that there was no response, but while there maybe a deep rivalry between the two, Fury would like to see Joshua win in order to stage the biggest fight in British boxing history for the undisputed heavyweight title.
“Far as I'm aware he [Tyson Fury] put it out there and he's still waiting for AJ to respond to him. So, Tyson's not going to chase him up and down.
“I always think in situations like this, when you're up against it, you should look for any lifeline you can. Tyson threw him a lifeline. I think beneath everything, Tyson actually likes the guy.
“I like AJ myself; I really do. He's been good for the sport, he looks well, we've had some enjoyable nights. He fits the bill perfectly and I want to see him win because he's a fellow Brit.
“We want him to have a big match up again, another 100k+ crowd in this country. That would happen with an AJ win. We'd have pulled out all the stops to make sure he wins as well, that's the difference. We'd have left no stone unturned; we'd have looked at everything in detail.
“It's about getting AJ over the line so we can get that big fight on, a unification fight, here in the UK. Instead of flying around all over the globe.
“The best boxers in the world right now are in the UK. The best boxing crowds are in the UK.”