Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua can still be hurt, and if the long-awaited heavyweight showdown finally happens later this year, the “Gypsy King” will be aiming to become the tenth man to put his British rival on the canvas.
Joshua’s heavyweight aura did not disappear overnight. It cracked against Wladimir Klitschko, collapsed against Andy Ruiz Jr., and has never fully recovered since.
Long before Daniel Dubois smashed Joshua around Wembley or Fury publicly questioned his ability to take punches, warning signs were already there for the former unified champion.
Dillian Whyte gave boxing the first glimpse back in 2015.
Joshua recovered to stop Whyte, but not before being badly shaken in a wild exchange that instantly raised doubts about how the Olympic gold medalist reacted under pressure.
At the time, those concerns were drowned out by the hype surrounding Joshua’s rise. Eddie Hearn was building his biggest star and openly speaking about Joshua as a generational heavyweight capable of joining the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.
Then came Klitschko.
Anthony Joshua
Joshua’s 2017 win over Wladimir Klitschko remains one of the best heavyweight fights of the modern era, but it also permanently changed how many viewed him.
After dropping the Ukrainian, Joshua looked close to forcing a stoppage before Klitschko suddenly turned the fight around and sent the Londoner crashing to the canvas with a huge right hand.
Joshua recovered brilliantly and eventually stopped Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley, but the image of him badly hurt and exhausted in the middle rounds stayed with people.
The aura of invincibility had gone.
Even as Joshua continued his march towards an undisputed title fight and added Joseph Parker’s belt to his collection, the concerns surrounding his durability never fully disappeared.
Then came the night that changed everything.
Andy Ruiz Jr.
When Jarrell Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of Joshua’s American debut at Madison Square Garden, Matchroom scrambled for a replacement capable of keeping the event alive.
Several names were discussed before Andy Ruiz Jr. got the call.
At the time, Ruiz had lost to Parker, whom Joshua had already beaten, and few gave the Mexican-American much chance of causing an upset.
That decision backfired spectacularly.
Joshua dropped Ruiz early before completely unraveling as the challenger exposed huge vulnerabilities in the champion’s makeup. Ruiz dropped Joshua four times and ripped away the unified heavyweight titles in one of the biggest shocks of the modern era.
Joshua regained the belts six months later in Saudi Arabia, but the rematch never fully repaired the damage done to his reputation.
Ruiz entered the fight massively overweight after admitting he barely trained, and many viewed the second contest as little more than a controlled recovery mission.
From that point forward, Joshua’s vulnerability became part of every major fight discussion surrounding him.
Heavyweight Kryptonite
Oleksandr Usyk then brought a completely different problem.
Joshua chased greatness by taking on one of the most technically gifted fighters of his generation, but stylistically it always looked like a nightmare matchup for the Briton. Usyk’s movement, timing, footwork, and ring IQ repeatedly exposed Joshua across two defeats.
Then came Dubois.
Unlike Usyk, Dubois did not outbox Joshua. He overwhelmed him.
Dubois dropped Joshua multiple times and smashed through him in destructive fashion at Wembley as all the old concerns surrounding Joshua’s durability and recovery instantly returned.
Questions surrounding Joshua’s heavyweight title reigns had lingered for years due to the circumstances attached to several of his championship victories and opportunities. The Dubois defeat only intensified those conversations.
Tyson Fury Targets Ten
Now Fury has reignited the entire debate ahead of their long-awaited showdown later this year by openly targeting Joshua’s biggest weakness.
If Fury does eventually put Joshua down, he will become the tenth fighter to achieve it.
No one can question Joshua’s ambition, professionalism, or desire to become one of heavyweight boxing’s biggest stars.
But every time Joshua hit the canvas, the perception surrounding him changed a little more.
Once heavyweight boxing senses vulnerability, it never forgets.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
