Amir Khan warns heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to ‘stay well AWAY’ from Tyson Fury as he insists it will be one of his hardest fights ever and questions whether he could actually win it
- Anthony Joshua was set to face Tyson Fury this autumn before plans fell through
- Amir Khan believes Joshua should not pursue a fight with heavyweight rival Fury
- Fury and AJ may meet this year if they beat Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk
Anthony Joshua has been warned to stay well away from Tyson Fury by Amir Khan.
The unified heavyweight champion was due to fight Fury in a Battle of Britain for all the belts this autumn before Deontay Wilder’s arbitration victory scuppered those plans.
Joshua and Fury must now successfully defend their belts against Oleksandr Usyk and Wilder respectively to keep hopes alive of the two Brits facing each other next.
Anthony Joshua has been warned to stay away from Tyson Fury by Amir Khan
Former world champion Khan believes it may have been a blessing in disguise for Joshua that his showdown with Fury was called off – and advised him not to take on the Gypsy King despite huge clamour for them to fight.
Asked about AJ’s chances of beating Fury, Khan told the Last Stand Podcast: ‘He’s a beast, heavyweight champion.
‘But a lot of people say, ‘Is he gonna beat Tyson Fury?’
‘I think that could be one of the hardest fights he ever has.
‘If I was Anthony Joshua, I’d keep away from Tyson Fury.’
Former world champion Khan questioned whether Joshua could defeat rival Fury
Fury is now preparing to make the first defence of his WBC world title against Wilder in Las Vegas on July 24.
Joshua, meanwhile, has been ordered to fight his WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk, which has been pencilled in for September 24 with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium expected to host it.
During an interview with talkSPORT last Thursday, Joshua was asked who he was backing to win between his heavyweight rivals.
After briefly hesitating, Joshua said: ‘I don’t mind, I don’t mind.
‘But Fury won the last one so I’ll go with Fury because you’re only as good as your last performance. But good luck to them both.’
Fury faced off against his familiar foe Wilder on stage at a press conference earleir this month
Joshua has backed bitter heavyweight rival Fury to beat Wilder again when they fight in July
Asked about his plans for the immediate future, Joshua insisted he’s ‘got no other option’ than to beat Usyk and continue to work towards that unification fight in the future.
He added: ‘I’ve got to defend my title. I’m going to be training alongside the team preparing for my championship fight while these guys prepare for the Olympics.
‘I’m going to win because I have to. I’ve got no other option and then I’m going to get on to the next fight which is the undisputed.
‘So we’re back on the road to undisputed, I’m supporting the Olympic boys and then when they finish with a bang hopefully the next fight I have will be an undisputed fight so there will be so many eyes on the boxing scene in 2021 and 2022.’
Joshua is pencilled it to fight Oleksandr Usyk (pictured) after Fury plans fell through