Tag: Joshua-Pulev

Did COVID-19 hinder Kubrat Pulev in Anthony Joshua fight?

Kubrat Pulev’s manager said the fighter battled COVID-19 in the lead up to his fight with Anthony Joshua.

Editor’s note: This article was originally pubished on DAZN.com.

***

Kubrat Pulev suffered from a “pneumonia stage of COVID-19” while training for his heavyweight title challenge of Anthony Joshua last month, something his co-promoter Ivaylo Gotzev claims hindered his chances of winning the fight.

Pulev was dragged into deep waters several times before he was finished off in Round 9 on Dec. 12 at SSE Arena in London.

“He didn’t really have the power or the strength, nor did he have the sparring that he needed in preparation,” Gotzev told Sky Sports. “Once again, not excuses, just facts, and that’s what happened.”

Gotzev said the 39-year-old Bulgarian didn’t feel cancelling the fight was an option because he feared he wouldn’t get another opportunity. A serious shoulder injury forced Pulev to pull out of his first planned challenge of a then-undefeated Joshua in October 2017.

“He says, ‘No, I’m going through with it, I’m going to fight A.J., and I know I might never get a third chance at this fight ever again,'” Gotzev said. “It was too much to lose, not fighting for all those belts. He really believed in himself. He had a shot at cracking through A.J. and he tried.

“Within a month prior to the fight, he had COVID. He had to alter his training, and quite honestly I thought we were going home. Me to the U.S., him to Bulgaria. He met with doctors, and he made a decision. He is standing by his decision. He’s a warrior.

“Look, we’ve always given A.J. credit, and I’m giving him credit now, saying he’s a great athletic specimen. He’s fit, he’s physically strong, he can punch, but the weaknesses are obvious. There were glimpses of that when A.J. was getting frustrated every time that Kubrat got close and punched him. Kubrat just didn’t have enough.

“It does take your strength. Kubrat, his X-rays showed he went through a pneumonia stage, but he fought it off, and he was there for the fight.”

Pulev would like another shot at Joshua, who is expected to move on to a unification fight with fellow titleholder Tyson Fury in his next fight. If Pulev must win a big fight elsewhere to bounce back into title contention, Gotzev believes a good target could be Dillian Whyte. The Londor’s rematch with  Alexander Povetkin — who stopped him in August — has been delayed because Povetkin has struggled with the coronavirus.

“Let’s not forget that right now we stand still in a winning column with Kubrat at 2-1 against top British heavyweights,” said Gotzev. “I’m referring to Dereck Chisora and Hughie Fury. So let’s keep the score going.

“Certainly one fight of great interest that I think style-wise and personalities would make for a great clash is Kubrat Pulev vs. Dillian Whyte, once he deals with Povetkin.

“Dillian Whyte has been very loud in the past talking about Kubrat and Kubrat feels like he is the perfect mouth he wants to shut. That’s a great heavyweight scrap for the future.”

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Did COVID-19 hinder Kubrat Pulev in Anthony Joshua fight?

Kubrat Pulev’s manager said the fighter battled COVID-19 in the lead up to his fight with Anthony Joshua.

Editor’s note: This article was originally pubished on DAZN.com.

***

Kubrat Pulev suffered from a “pneumonia stage of COVID-19” while training for his heavyweight title challenge of Anthony Joshua last month, something his co-promoter Ivaylo Gotzev claims hindered his chances of winning the fight.

Pulev was dragged into deep waters several times before he was finished off in Round 9 on Dec. 12 at SSE Arena in London.

“He didn’t really have the power or the strength, nor did he have the sparring that he needed in preparation,” Gotzev told Sky Sports. “Once again, not excuses, just facts, and that’s what happened.”

Gotzev said the 39-year-old Bulgarian didn’t feel cancelling the fight was an option because he feared he wouldn’t get another opportunity. A serious shoulder injury forced Pulev to pull out of his first planned challenge of a then-undefeated Joshua in October 2017.

“He says, ‘No, I’m going through with it, I’m going to fight A.J., and I know I might never get a third chance at this fight ever again,'” Gotzev said. “It was too much to lose, not fighting for all those belts. He really believed in himself. He had a shot at cracking through A.J. and he tried.

“Within a month prior to the fight, he had COVID. He had to alter his training, and quite honestly I thought we were going home. Me to the U.S., him to Bulgaria. He met with doctors, and he made a decision. He is standing by his decision. He’s a warrior.

“Look, we’ve always given A.J. credit, and I’m giving him credit now, saying he’s a great athletic specimen. He’s fit, he’s physically strong, he can punch, but the weaknesses are obvious. There were glimpses of that when A.J. was getting frustrated every time that Kubrat got close and punched him. Kubrat just didn’t have enough.

“It does take your strength. Kubrat, his X-rays showed he went through a pneumonia stage, but he fought it off, and he was there for the fight.”

Pulev would like another shot at Joshua, who is expected to move on to a unification fight with fellow titleholder Tyson Fury in his next fight. If Pulev must win a big fight elsewhere to bounce back into title contention, Gotzev believes a good target could be Dillian Whyte. The Londor’s rematch with  Alexander Povetkin — who stopped him in August — has been delayed because Povetkin has struggled with the coronavirus.

“Let’s not forget that right now we stand still in a winning column with Kubrat at 2-1 against top British heavyweights,” said Gotzev. “I’m referring to Dereck Chisora and Hughie Fury. So let’s keep the score going.

“Certainly one fight of great interest that I think style-wise and personalities would make for a great clash is Kubrat Pulev vs. Dillian Whyte, once he deals with Povetkin.

“Dillian Whyte has been very loud in the past talking about Kubrat and Kubrat feels like he is the perfect mouth he wants to shut. That’s a great heavyweight scrap for the future.”

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Anthony Joshua destroys Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds

Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds to retain his heavyweight titles Saturday in London.

The new version of Anthony Joshua boxes more than he once did. He’s more patient. The immense power is the same, though. And once he has you hurt, well, stand by.

Joshua outboxed Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night at SSE Arena in London, much as he did in his victorious rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. almost exactly a year ago. The heavyweight titleholder gave us more this time, though – more aggression, more passion, more big shots.

The result was impressive: four knockdowns and a ninth-round knockout in the first defense the three titles he regained by outpointed Ruiz.

Many wondered what demeanor Joshua would bring into the ring after his cautious victory over Ruiz, which followed Ruiz’s stunning knockout of Joshua six months earlier.

The champion was more disciplined than cautious, fighting behind a consistent, stiff jab to both the head and body that kept Pulev at a distance favorable to Joshua. And he waited for openings to present themselves. When they did, the Bulgarian challenger paid a price.

The first two-plus rounds were mostly a feel-out session, with Joshua jabbing and Pulev posturing. Then Joshua hurt Pulev with a right hand and everything changed instantly. A flurry of shots resulted in Pulev turning his back on Joshua and he stumbled into a corner, which referee Deon Dwarte ruled a knockdown.

Then one of many right uppercuts Joshua landed in the fight found Pulev’s chin and he went down on his behind for the second knockdown.

The challenger survived the harrowing round and proved to be resilient for a while. After having regained his senses, it was as if he were saying with his actions, “OK, I’ve taken the best you can offer and I’m still here.”

Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) actually took the fight Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) at times, jabbing fairly consistently and throwing his right hand periodically in an attempt the turn the tide in his favor. They rarely landed, though, making his mission almost impossible.

Meanwhile, Joshua continued to land jabs and fire off occasionally power shots – including rapid-fire uppercuts – but the fight was relatively competitive until late in Round 9.

Then another right uppercut found the mark and was the beginning of the end. Joshua followed that punch with a few more shots inside and Pulev went down again. He managed to get up even though he was hurt but, seconds later, a perfect straight right hand landed on his chin and he fell flat on his back.

This time, he didn’t get up. The fight was over at 2:58 of Round 9. The Joshua who had destroyed everything in his path was back.

“I stuck to what I do best – boxing,” said Joshua, who hadn’t scored a knockout since Alexander Povetkin more than two years ago. “I picked my shots, put them together. And when they’re successful, they’re successful. As I said, it’s just less talk and more action. I don’t even want to do the interview. I just want fans to appreciate the hard work.

“Everyone go home and have a lovely Christmas. And we’ll see reunite in 2021.”

Against whom?

Oleksander Usyk is the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO title and he’s determined to get his opportunity. Everyone else, it seems, wants to see Joshua fight fellow beltholder Tyson Fury in an all-British showdown for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

That was clear during the interview when Joshua was asked whether he wants Fury next. He suggested the interviewer ask those in attendance at SSE Arena, who numbered in the thousands.

“You ask the crowd what they want to see. I’m up for anything. Look at the resume,” Joshua said.

“OK, who wants to see Anthony Joshua fight Tyson Fury in 2021?” the interviewer asked the fans, whose wild cheers made their preference clear.

“Look, when I started in this game in 2013, I’ve been chasing belts, dealing with mandatories,” Joshua said. “Of course, I want a challenge. It’s not about the opponent. It’s about legacy and the belt. Whoever has the belt, I want to compete with them.

“If that’s Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury. The road to the undisputed is almost clear right now.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn, standing beside Joshua during the interview, echoed his fighter’s sentiments. He made it clear that the representatives of the fighters in question would get down to work soon.

“Since he [first] came into the office he wanted to be undisputed champion,” Hearn said. “We’re going to be friendly, we’re going to be nice. We know what we have to do. Starting tomorrow we make the Tyson Fury fight straight away. It’s the only fight to be made in boxing, it’s the biggest fight in boxing, it’s the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“I know [Joshua] wants it. He’s the best heavyweight in the world, I promise you. He’ll break him down, knock him out. … We know what we have to do. It’s about legacy. Let’s get it done.”

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Anthony Joshua destroys Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds

Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds to retain his heavyweight titles Saturday in London.

The new version of Anthony Joshua boxes more than he once did. He’s more patient. The immense power is the same, though. And once he has you hurt, well, stand by.

Joshua outboxed Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night at SSE Arena in London, much as he did in his victorious rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. almost exactly a year ago. The heavyweight titleholder gave us more this time, though – more aggression, more passion, more big shots.

The result was impressive: four knockdowns and a ninth-round knockout in the first defense the three titles he regained by outpointed Ruiz.

Many wondered what demeanor Joshua would bring into the ring after his cautious victory over Ruiz, which followed Ruiz’s stunning knockout of Joshua six months earlier.

The champion was more disciplined than cautious, fighting behind a consistent, stiff jab to both the head and body that kept Pulev at a distance favorable to Joshua. And he waited for openings to present themselves. When they did, the Bulgarian challenger paid a price.

The first two-plus rounds were mostly a feel-out session, with Joshua jabbing and Pulev posturing. Then Joshua hurt Pulev with a right hand and everything changed instantly. A flurry of shots resulted in Pulev turning his back on Joshua and he stumbled into a corner, which referee Deon Dwarte ruled a knockdown.

Then one of many right uppercuts Joshua landed in the fight found Pulev’s chin and he went down on his behind for the second knockdown.

The challenger survived the harrowing round and proved to be resilient for a while. After having regained his senses, it was as if he were saying with his actions, “OK, I’ve taken the best you can offer and I’m still here.”

Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) actually took the fight Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) at times, jabbing fairly consistently and throwing his right hand periodically in an attempt the turn the tide in his favor. They rarely landed, though, making his mission almost impossible.

Meanwhile, Joshua continued to land jabs and fire off occasionally power shots – including rapid-fire uppercuts – but the fight was relatively competitive until late in Round 9.

Then another right uppercut found the mark and was the beginning of the end. Joshua followed that punch with a few more shots inside and Pulev went down again. He managed to get up even though he was hurt but, seconds later, a perfect straight right hand landed on his chin and he fell flat on his back.

This time, he didn’t get up. The fight was over at 2:58 of Round 9. The Joshua who had destroyed everything in his path was back.

“I stuck to what I do best – boxing,” said Joshua, who hadn’t scored a knockout since Alexander Povetkin more than two years ago. “I picked my shots, put them together. And when they’re successful, they’re successful. As I said, it’s just less talk and more action. I don’t even want to do the interview. I just want fans to appreciate the hard work.

“Everyone go home and have a lovely Christmas. And we’ll see reunite in 2021.”

Against whom?

Oleksander Usyk is the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO title and he’s determined to get his opportunity. Everyone else, it seems, wants to see Joshua fight fellow beltholder Tyson Fury in an all-British showdown for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

That was clear during the interview when Joshua was asked whether he wants Fury next. He suggested the interviewer ask those in attendance at SSE Arena, who numbered in the thousands.

“You ask the crowd what they want to see. I’m up for anything. Look at the resume,” Joshua said.

“OK, who wants to see Anthony Joshua fight Tyson Fury in 2021?” the interviewer asked the fans, whose wild cheers made their preference clear.

“Look, when I started in this game in 2013, I’ve been chasing belts, dealing with mandatories,” Joshua said. “Of course, I want a challenge. It’s not about the opponent. It’s about legacy and the belt. Whoever has the belt, I want to compete with them.

“If that’s Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury. The road to the undisputed is almost clear right now.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn, standing beside Joshua during the interview, echoed his fighter’s sentiments. He made it clear that the representatives of the fighters in question would get down to work soon.

“Since he [first] came into the office he wanted to be undisputed champion,” Hearn said. “We’re going to be friendly, we’re going to be nice. We know what we have to do. Starting tomorrow we make the Tyson Fury fight straight away. It’s the only fight to be made in boxing, it’s the biggest fight in boxing, it’s the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“I know [Joshua] wants it. He’s the best heavyweight in the world, I promise you. He’ll break him down, knock him out. … We know what we have to do. It’s about legacy. Let’s get it done.”

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Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev to take place in early December: report

Promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN that Anthony Joshua’s title defense against Kubrat Pulev will take place the first week of December.

Anthony Joshua’s title defense against Kubrat Pulev appears to have a rough date.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN that the fight, originally scheduled for June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London but canceled because of COVID-19, will take place the first week of December.

No site has been determined. And it could take place behind closed doors, although Hearn and Co. hold out hope that spectators will be allowed.

If things open up, Hearn said, the 02 Arena in London would be in ideal venue for the fight.

“We know AJ’s only going to fight once this year, so we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to bring in a crowd, and that would obviously be the later the better,” Hearn told ESPN. “But it’s still not a gimme at all. There’s still a very strong chance that AJ will have to fight behind closed doors.”

Hearn went on: “Bearing in mind he’s only going to fight once this year, I just feel as we might as well give ourselves every chance to have a crowd and that will be the first weekend of December.

“So they would need to open up. We’d need to get an understanding from the government what is allowed in arenas. Are you going to open at 50 percent [capacity]? Are you going to open up 100 percent? There’s a lot of work that has to go into that with the government and the O2.”

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. this past Dec. 7, which avenged a shocking knockout loss to Ruiz six months earlier.

Hearn said it’s crucial for Joshua to fight this year and then focus on a potential superfight with countryman Tyson Fury, assuming he beats Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs).

“He must box this year, and obviously it’s up to me to find a solution and a crowd,” Hearn said. “But he also knows at the same time, he must fight because it will be a year in December since the Ruiz fight.

“He’s still improving, he’s still learning, and he’s not prepared to just sit out and not fight.”

Fans in U.K. could pay $37 (£29.95) for Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua PPV

Promoter Eddie Hearn said the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua title-unification showdown could cost fans a $37 (£29.95) pay-per-view fee.

A superfight for $37 (£29.95)?

In the United States, that would be bargain. American fans paid close to $100 (£81) for Floyd Mayweather’s fights against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor, after all.

In the U.K.? One outlet called that pay-per-view price “huge.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn said the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua title-unification showdown, expected to take place next year if they win interim fights, dismissed rumors that the price could be as high as £50 but acknowledged that the £29.95 figure is realistic.

Big fights typically cost around £20 in the U.K. Hearn said Sky Sports sets the price.

“Do I think that’ll go over £29.95? No I don’t,” he said on iFL TV. “But again, this isn’t my decision. I don’t think Sky are looking at this fight thinking, ‘Oh yeah, that’ll give us an excuse to put the price up.’

“Is it the biggest fight ever? Yes. Biggest British fight ever? Yes. But my relationship with the costumers and the fans has to be everything, because I want the longevity, I want the respect and I want your trust, and I want to give you value.

“So I’m not here to come in like a cowboy and go £49.99, see you later, cheers, bye, with a sack of money.’ It’s got to be right, it’s got to represent the value of the product like everything has.

“Maybe Tyson Fury wants it to be £49.99. I don’t think it should be anywhere near that kind of money, and I don’t believe Sky would either.”

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Fury and Joshua have agreed to financial terms on two fights. However, Fury must beat Deontay Wilder and Joshua must do the same against Kubrat Pulev to set up the ultimate showdown. Those fights are expected to happen before the end of this year.

Mandatory title defenses also could complicate things. Fury is due to defend against Dillian Whyte by February, and Oleksandr Usyk is in line to face Joshua.

Fury’s co-promoter, Frank Warren, believes Fury and Joshua could walk away with as much as $140 million (£113 million) each for the two fights combined.

Anthony Joshua seen on crutches at protest march in Watford

Anthony Joshua wore a knee brace and walked with crutches during a Black Lives Matter march Saturday in his hometown of Watford, England.

Anthony Joshua tweaked is left knee. How badly? Nothing to worry about, we’re told.

The  heavyweight titleholder wore a knee brace and walked with crutches during a Black Lives Matter march Saturday in his hometown of Watford, England, near London.

“Anthony felt a slight twinge in his knee whilst training,” a spokesman for the fighter said. “The brace is a precautionary measure on the advice of physios. It will be further checked by his doctors but there is no immediate concern.”

Joshua was seen on crutches and also on a scooter during one of many demonstrations worldwide on Saturday, which followed the death of George Floyd while a police officer knelt on his neck last months in Minneapolis.

Joshua, who holds three of the four major belts, was expected to defend his titles against Kubrat Pulev on June 20 at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium. However, the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

No date or site has been set but the fighters’ handlers say the fight will take place. It’s not clear whether the injury will impact the timing of the event.

Tyson Fury says he’d stop Anthony Joshua in ‘two to three rounds’

Tyson Fury said he’d stop British rival and fellow heavyweight titleholder Anthony in “two to three rounds.”

Tyson Fury recently appeared on British comedy show called Redknapp’s Home Fixture on Sky One. But he wasn’t joking when he said what he’d do to fellow titleholder Anthony Joshua.

Fury said he’d take out Joshua “two to three rounds.”

Of course, Fury first must get past Deontay Wilder in their third fight. They are expected to meet before the end of the year.

“AJ’s style is tailor-made for mine,” Fury said on the show. “Upright, walking forward, classic defense. Strong and powerful, but no footwork, hardly any resilience and a bit gutless when it comes down to getting clipped.

“I’ll knock him out around two to three rounds. First time I connect, his legs will do a dance. I’ll just jump on him like that fat kid (Andy Ruiz). I’ll tell you what shot it’s gonna be, should I? ‘Left hook to the temple. You’re gonna see him do a Bambi dance all over the ring.

“Eddie Hearn talks a lot of hot air, as usual. I’ve been offering to fight Joshua for quite a while. I’ve been trying to make that fight happen for the last five years. And it’s not happened at all.

“Eddie’s obviously Joshua’s promoter, so he’ll have to be speaking to my team to make the fight happen, give the fans what they want and stop running away from the biggest fight since Lennox [Lewis] fought Frank Bruno.
“Have the guts to step up to the plate and get flattened, son.”

Fury is coming off a sensational seventh-round knockout in his rematch with Wilder in February. Joshua lost his belts to Ruiz by a seventh-round KO in June of last year but outpointed Ruiz to regain them in December.

If Fury beats Wilder again and Joshua gets past mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev, another fight expected to take place soon, they could meet in the all-British blockbuster next year.

Eddie Hearn wants to stage Joshua-Pulev before small VIP crowd

Eddie Hearn wants to stage the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev title fight in front of about 1,000 high-rollers at a small venue in London.

Promoter Eddie Hearn envisions fans in the seats as early as September. And he has plans in place to welcome them, although on a small scale.

Hearn told BoxingScene.com that he wants to stage heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s title defense against Kubrat Pulev in front of about 1,000 high-rollers at either Royal Albert Hall or Olympia in London.

Both venues, which can hold many more than 1,000 spectators, have hosted boxing events in the past.

“I definitely see crowds coming back as early as September,” Hearn said. “I really want to do the fight in the U.K. So I am thinking AJ boxes in October or November. Why can’t we go to the Royal Albert Hall or Olympia and do 1,000 people, a proper glitz and glamour event, charge people a lot of money to go, dinner before, a party, drinks and everyone is a couple of meters apart from everyone?”

The Joshua-Pulev fight was originally scheduled to take place at the new 60,000-plus-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20 but it was postponed because of the coronavirus threat.

Thus, Hearn was faced with forgoing a lucrative live gate if he wanted the fight to take place this year. The small-venue idea would generate some revenue.

“If you are doing 1,000 tickets, there is a dinner before and an after-party, it is a hell of a ticket if you are a fight fan to go and watch something like that so close up,” Hearn told the website. “We just have to be creative; people will want to go out. It will take time for people to rediscover the confidence to go to event with crowds.

“I know there is a chance there could be a second spike, but if they start opening up restaurants in July and outdoor pubs, it will be very difficult to not allow gatherings of 100, 200, 500 or 1,000.”

There had been talk of staging the fight overseas but, Hearn said, that would be a gamble at this point. He added that he received no firm offer to hold the fight at a Roman amphitheater in Croatia, as reported.

“I think if Saudi [Arabia] are going to look for a return of boxing, it will be more like the back end of the year, November or December,” Hearn said. “I don’t think anyone has any confidence right now to be booking things up and spending money.

“You see [promoter Bob] Arum talking about the Far East and Australia. There are definitely going to be countries that are wanting to establish themselves as open for business.

“So, staging a big fight and maybe a big heavyweight fight might be appealing to them. That goes for Oleksandr Usyk-Dereck Chisora and AJ-Pulev.”

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Tyson Fury confirms desire to make Anthony Joshua fight happen

Tyson Fury reiterated that he wants to face Anthony Joshua but reminded everyone that they must win their interim fights first.

Tyson Fury assured fans they’ll see an all-British heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua – if Deontay Wilder and Kubrat Pulev cooperate.

Fury vs. Joshua is the biggest possible fight in boxing but it can happen only if Fury defeats Wilder in their third fight and Joshua beats Pulev. Promoters are planning to stage those two fights before the end of the year, assuming coronavirus restrictions allow it.

“If I get knocked out by Deontay Wilder, then it won’t be on, will it?” Fury told Sky Sports. “It will be another fight with Wilder and so forth and so on. If he loses to Pulev, so close, but so far away. In heavyweight boxing, you can never count your chickens before they hatch, so one fight at a time, one victory at a time.

“All going well, God-willing, we get on the big fight with me and Joshua, the all-British showdown and I can give the fans what they want to see, especially the British fans. It will be the biggest fight since I believe Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno. It was a while ago, Cardiff Arms Park.”

Joshua has made it clear that he also wants to fight Fury. Joshua holds three of the four major belts, Fury the fourth.

“Yes, come fight me,” Joshua said. “If you really want to say you’re No 1, come fight me. Let’s get it on. I’ve got the rest of the belts so it only makes sense. I’m the unified heavyweight champion of the world, he’s the WBC champion. What it will prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.

“Logically to prove yourself as No 1, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua.”