Peter Fury has sent a warning to Anthony Joshua over next opponent Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua was initially supposed to be fighting Peter Fury’s son, Tyson, in a bout which would have crowned an English fighter the unified, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
However, after a court order forced Fury into a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder, Joshua was left to fight WBO mandatory challenger Usyk, who most recently defeated Derek Chisora by UD.
Usyk has had just two fights at heavyweight since moving up from cruiserweight, but Peter Fury has warned two-time heavyweight champion Joshua not to take him for granted when they go toe-to-toe on September 25th.
Peter Fury is quoted by Sky Sports saying:
“He’s [Usyk] very dangerous. It’s not a walk in the park. Forget cruiserweight. This guy, he’s had a couple of fights in the heavyweight division, he’s adjusted, he’s put the necessary weight on.”
“He’s a serious heavyweight and a serious talent, so it will be a good fight.”
“Yes, of course he has [enough power to gain Joshua’s respect].”
MORE: Tyson Fury embroiled in COVID controversy, pictured out and about days after positive test news
“He’s an accurate puncher and anybody in the fight trade knows when you’re in that body weight bracket, when you’re punching correctly, any punchers can do damage.”
“Yes, he belongs in the division and he’s a serious threat. It’s a serious fight. Full credit to Joshua for taking that fight.”
“I think it will ultimately be a battle of skills, because you can’t run into danger. It’s a fight that I’m looking forward to see. It’s a great fight, a good match-up.”
It’s not news that Usyk is a great boxer, but it really it remains to be seen whether he has the punch power to cause problems to the likes of Joshua and other hard-hitting heavyweights.
Ultimately, though, there’s a reason why Usyk (18-0) boasts such an impressive record and overcame challenges such as Michael Hunter, Murat Gassiev, Tony Bellew and Derek Chisora.
This is no gimme for AJ, and with the loss to Andy Ruiz Jr still fresh in the memory, he won’t need telling.
Click here for more of the latest Boxing & MMA news
More must-reads: