Tyson Fury turns to proven knockout formula for Anthony Joshua showdown

Tyson Fury promised at last month’s press conference to confirm his December 11 showdown with Anthony Joshua that he’s planning to start fast and win by early KO. To assist his mission, Fury plans to come in close to his career-heaviest weight.

Fury weighed 268lbs for his April comeback victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov and had shed a further three-and-a-half pounds when he beat Mariusz Wach in July. But he won’t be getting any lighter.

“Big boy 280lbs incoming,” he wrote on social media.

“Not your average build. However, the love handles are used for energy.”

Fury’s weight has fluctuated throughout his career. He’s been as low as 245lbs (for bouts against Martin Rogan and Vinny Maddalone in 2012) and, for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, he was as high as 281lbs.

“I know you’re afraid but I won’t hurt you,” Fury informed Joshua in September.

“I’ll make it a quick KO, so you can get back to your business work, being a landlord and stuff.

“I’ll make it very fast, and I’ll make it pain-free for you and your team… It’ll be over quickly.”

Though Fury, 36-2-1 (25 KOs), is known to make things up as he goes along, Joshua would be wise to be wary of his opponent’s approach.

In February 2020, with only days to go before his rematch with Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas, Fury informed everyone at the pre-fight press conference that he was going all out to score an inside-the-distance victory.

Few believed him.

After all, in their first bout in December 2018, Fury had been dropped twice by the then-unbeaten WBC heavyweight champion. The bout ended in a draw, with Fury seemingly at his best when boxing from range.

But before the rematch, Fury hit the scales at 273lbs, an increase of almost 20lbs from the first fight. Some observers feared he had not trained properly.

What followed was Fury at his greatest as he clobbered Wilder into a brutal seventh-round defeat.

Joshua, 30-4 (27 KOs), weighed 251lbs for his July victory over Kristian Prenga, when he was dropped twice in the first round before turning the tables to secure victory in the second.

It now seems that he will not only give away three inches in height to the 6ft 9ins Fury, but also a significant amount of weight.