Fury On Joshua: Can’t Change A Bull Into A Racehorse

Tyson Fury has taken notice of some of Anthony Joshua’s comments regarding how he’ll prepare for his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr.

Joshua isn’t necessarily fixated on what he’ll weigh for their December 7 bout in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. He’s more concerned about being lighter on his feet and being able to box better versus Ruiz when necessary.

The 6-feet-6 Joshua has been criticized for being robotic and stiff at times, perceptions Fury suggests the muscular Joshua shouldn’t become consumed with changing during this training camp. Fury (28-0-1, 20 KOs) discussed Joshua’s preparation for the Ruiz rematch during a lengthy interview with Steve Bunce for BT Sport, the British broadcaster for Fury’s fight Saturday night against Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs, 1 NC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I see he’s lost a bit of weight and he’s been taking notice to what people are saying, he’s got too much muscle on him and all that,” Fury said. “But really, that can be taken out of context as well. You can’t change a bull into a racehorse. It doesn’t work like that. And a racehorse can’t tow a wagon or a heavy load. It doesn’t work. So, if you take that big, heavy horse, and strip his muscle off, and then put him in the same cart he was in and try to pull that same heavy load again, he’s not gonna manage it.

“So, it’s horses for courses. So, I think they’re gonna try and lose weight, and try and maneuver a lot. But you can’t do that in one camp. That takes a lifetime of practice. We saw Tony Bellew try to do it against [Oleksandr] Usyk. Tried copying my style, but after eight rounds his legs went. It worked. It’s effective. I’ve been successful 29 times in a row with it. But you can’t learn overnight.”

Fury doesn’t believe even a lengthy training camp provides enough time to implement meaningful changes to Joshua’s style. Regardless, Fury feels he’ll still have difficulty dealing with the rotund Ruiz, whose athleticism and boxing ability defy his body type.

“When someone practices something in the gym for eight, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, and then they go in a fight, they try and do it,” Fury said. “But as soon as they get clipped, or they get tired, they revert straight back to what they once knew. I’ve seen it many, many times. And as soon as [Joshua] holds his feet, and starts to fight back, he loses, in my opinion.

“But if he can get on the jab, and box and move, which I’ve never, ever seen him do – amateur or pro – for 12 rounds, which, for a heavyweight, is a very hard thing to do, at some point he’s gonna have to stand and fight. Simple. And if he keeps running away from Ruiz, with a jab, he’s not got the footwork to do that. Work on what you’re good at, and make that better. Tighten your defense up, and go for the smash ‘em – ‘The Hulk’ smash.”

Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) is a 3-1 favorite over Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) in their rematch, even though Ruiz knocked him down four times and stopped him June 1 at Madison Square Garden. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.