British boxer Anthony Joshua says he will not make the same mistake Deontay Wilder made against Tyson Fury, maintaining that he will remain composed and avoid emotional choices when they face each other on December 11.
The former two-time world heavyweight champion believes staying composed will be vital in the bout at Cardiff’s sold-out Principality Stadium, which will be broadcast live worldwide on Netflix.
Fury beat Wilder twice and drew once with the American during their three-fight rivalry.
Joshua told The Ring’s Mike Coppinger that Wilder’s eagerness to finish Fury after hurting him frequently left him tired, allowing the Briton an opportunity to recover.
“Wilder took those fights very personally, and that could be quite exhausting, especially when you hurt someone and try to finish them,” Joshua said.
“You lose a lot of energy, and then Tyson comes back. Wilder could have gotten the job done if he was a bit more calm, cool, and collected. He could have learned from that. Wilder tried to take him out of there, while Fury just managed to weather the storm and come back.”
Joshua stated that frustration or the urge for an early finish would not dictate his approach.
“I do not believe that would be me. I am going to keep a calm head,” he added.
Joshua is also pursuing a historic achievement. Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, has stated that the World Boxing Association super heavyweight belt will be contested in Cardiff.
Victory would make Joshua a three-time world heavyweight champion, matching an achievement accomplished by Muhammad Ali, Michael Moore, Lennox Lewis, and Vitali Klitschko, while Evander Holyfield captured the title four times.
The belt became vacant after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished it. Murat Gassiev was the association’s top contender and had been expected to step up, but the appeal of Fury facing Joshua seems to have taken precedence. Both fighters previously lost their world titles to Usyk.
Warren, who is also staging this weekend’s rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley for the World Boxing Organization title, said the winners could face each other in unification bouts in 2027.
“We have got three of the four heavyweight champions on our roster, and we are going to make unification fights next year,” he said.
Joshua comes into the bout with a professional record of 30 victories, four losses, and 27 knockouts. Fury’s record stands at 36 wins, two defeats, and one draw, including 25 knockouts.
