BRITISH AIRWAYS ARC, LONDON — After a slow start to the press conference, which tended towards glacial after host Max Kellerman inexplicably decided to treat the audience to his potted history of the heavyweight division, Tyson Fury seemed to be getting warmed up. Surely Anthony Joshua, his sworn rival for well over a decade, would cop for some acidic barbs as he finally sat alongside the Gypsy King, with only Kellerman’s pulpit of torpor between them.
Following a quarter of an hour of stilted pleasantries, Fury decided to unveil his fight plan. Possibly kidology, but he told the assembled media that he would walk down Deontay Wilder and beat him up in their February 2020n rematch.
It seemed like a crazy scheme against the division’s biggest puncher, but Fury did exactly that. He demolished Wilder for the most exciting win of his storied career. Now 38, with Joshua set to turn 37 before they meet in Cardiff on December 11, the dancing days are probably over for these two British Goliaths. MORE: Why is Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua in Cardiff? “I can tell you the strategy I’m going to impose, because that’s what I do,” he said.
“I’m going to come out and I’m going to blast him out of there.”
“Let’s go,” Joshua beamed in response. “It will be Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It will be the best man wins.
Because I’m not going to run away, I’m not going to box. I’m going to throw down. And, from what I’m seeing, I’m going to catch him, and when I do, it’s going to be curtains.”
Asked for his response, Joshua replied: “Geyyt uuupppp!” It was a very passable Tyson Fury impression and his rival broke out into a broad grin. The lads are here pic.twitter.com/gDZaVrpQ4y
— Dom Farrell (@DomFarrell1986) September 30, 2026 In many respects, this exchange and many others were heartening to see. Fury’s relentless social media diatribes towards Joshua and his camp have become utterly tiresome, while Joshua has spoken spitefully of a man who has mocked him mercilessly in the past. In London on Wednesday, a little over 10 weeks away from fight night, they seemed almost pleased to see each other.
Perhaps that’s the expected response when you clap eyes upon someone with whom you will split a $200million purse. MORE: What to know about Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
Is Peter Fury training Anthony Joshua? Things are sure to get a little spicier between now and then. Joshua popped a potential grenade into the detente when he spoke to reporters ahead of the main press conference, disclosing that Fury’s estranged uncle and former trainer Peter Fury has been offering some pointers for his preparations. “I speak to Peter Fury,” Joshua said “He’s willing to help me as well. Yeah, I’ll speak to him [before I fight Tyson Fury].“Not [to learn] about Fury, but about our training and how I can approach the fight.
This is where I can improve. Everybody’s going to tell me how to win. But the most important person to listen to is myself at this point in my career.”
That is certainly a maxim the gym-hopping Joshua has embraced, having been trained by Angel Hernandez, Robert Garcia, Derrick James, Ben Davison and Oleksandr Usyk’s team since leaving long-time cornerman Rob McCracken after his 2021 defeat to the masterful Ukrainian.
For the Fury fight, he is back with Davison, who took on Fury for his comeback from addiction and obesity to title contention, including his dramatic draw with Wilder in late 2018. “Don’t forget I left Ben Davison to go with SugarHill [Steward] because he wasn’t good enough and this is the same Ben Davison who Anthony Joshua left because he wasn’t good enough,” Fury quipped.
He had warmer words for Joshua on the top table as a press conference open to the public played out before a rowdy gallery. Fury’s crowd were the more confrontational, booing and heckling Joshua, at least until their man lavished his foe with praise. The lads are here pic.twitter.com/gDZaVrpQ4y
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— Dom Farrell (@DomFarrell1986) September 30, 2026 “The one thing I will say, all the banter and all the trying to sell this show aside, listen, this man is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist,” Fury said.
“He’s been a role model and a poster boy for British boxing for years.
“I mostly find myself defending my arch rival to fans that I meet in the street. And I say to them, ‘If you could achieve 10% of what this has achieved, you’d be doing well’.”
He added: “This man’s built like an Adonis; I’m built like a blancmange. But still, what I always say is you can’t put muscles on a tache. And when I crack him on the jaw with a big right hand, he’s going to go down.”
Once again.
Joshua hyped up the Fury fans to give him more stick, laughing along. Fury invited him for a post-fight Guinness. “I’m not sure I trust him,” Joshua laughed before Kellerman cut in with another soliloquy.
It was the same deal when they entered a prolonged head-to-head. Fury nattered away, and Joshua chuckled. Then they both smiled and faced the crowd.
It was unexpectedly, resoundingly, pleasant. It will be different when they reconvene in Cardiff with destiny looming in early December. Nerves will be a little more frayed. But for now, after promotional wrangling that rumbled on right until this public launch, it was enough to be happy that they were here.
That in itself, finally and long overdue, felt like enough of an achievement.
