Fury and Joshua share jokes and mutual respect at fight launch press conference
Heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua set aside years of feuding at a London news conference, trading jokes and compliments ahead of their 11 December bout at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua appeared together in London on Wednesday to launch their long-awaited heavyweight clash, and the mood was notably warm despite more than a decade of public rivalry. Rather than exchanging insults, the two veteran boxers traded compliments and even joked about sharing a pint after the fight.
Fury, 38, said he had often found himself defending Joshua to fans on the street, calling him a role model and poster boy for British boxing. Joshua, 36, described the event as breathtaking, noting that fans in pubs and even family members had fallen out over predictions about who would win.
As recently as Monday, it remained uncertain whether the fight would go ahead due to contractual disagreements over the promotion. Yet none of that tension was visible at the conference, which ended with Joshua playfully pretending to tickle Fury during the face-off.
The pair entered from opposite sides of the stage to fireworks, with hundreds of fans in the balcony loudly backing Joshua. He has been credited with pushing to keep the fight in Britain, and strong support is expected in Cardiff even though the main event could start around 02:00 GMT to accommodate American audiences.
The two also revisited their 2010 sparring session, when Joshua was still an amateur — Fury claimed he had the upper hand, while Joshua said he could not recall it. Fury described the upcoming fight as "the icing on the cake" of two great careers.
The bout has been billed as being for the vacant WBA 'super' heavyweight title, though current WBA champion Murat Gassiev's team has formally objected to that arrangement. Tension briefly surfaced when Joshua mentioned being asked whether Fury's name could appear first in the promotion, but the exchange ended good-naturedly.
The build-up had been overshadowed by controversy over UFC and Zuffa Boxing chief Dana White's involvement in the promotion, though White did not attend Wednesday's event. Fury closed proceedings by inviting both Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn for a pint of Guinness regardless of the fight's outcome.
