Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has described Anthony Joshua as a “stepping stone” towards a potential rematch with Oleksandr Usyk ahead of their highly anticipated fight in Cardiff on December 11.
Fury made the comments in his first public remarks since his showdown with Joshua was confirmed, predicting that he will stop his fellow British heavyweight inside seven rounds at Principality Stadium.
“I’m just going to knock him out, one hundred per cent,” Fury said on the Furocity YouTube channel on Sunday.
“I’m going to box the head off him and stop him inside six or seven rounds.”
Fury, who suffered two defeats against Usyk in 2024, said his main objective remains securing another opportunity against the Ukrainian.
“I’m only using Joshua as a stepping stone, a warm-up to Usyk,” he said.
The former champion also criticised Joshua’s physical condition, questioning whether the two-time world champion possesses the speed and stamina required to compete with him.
“Joshua, for me, is an old bum. A weightlifter. Too many weights, not enough speed. Too many weights, no cardio,” Fury said.
He added that he expected to dominate Joshua, saying he would “cut through him like a hot knife through butter.”
The December 11 bout will bring together two of Britain’s biggest heavyweight names, with both fighters looking to make a major statement when they meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
