British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua says he will keep his emotions in check when he faces Tyson Fury on December 11, insisting he will not repeat what he considers Deontay Wilder’s biggest mistake in his rivalry with the British fighter.
Joshua believes patience and composure will be crucial when he meets Fury at the sold-out Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with the bout scheduled to be broadcast worldwide on Netflix.
Fury defeated Wilder twice and drew once in their three-fight rivalry.
Joshua said Wilder often exhausted himself by trying to finish Fury immediately after hurting him, giving his opponent opportunities to recover and fight back.
Speaking to The Ring magazine’s Mike Coppinger, Joshua said Wilder’s emotional approach affected his ability to manage the fights.
“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 said he would not allow frustration or the desire for an early knockout to dictate his tactics against Fury.
“I do not believe that would be me. I am going to keep a calm head,” he added.
Beyond the rivalry, Joshua has the opportunity to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has said the World Boxing Association heavyweight title will be at stake in the Cardiff bout.
Victory would place Joshua among a select group of boxers who have won the world heavyweight championship three times, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko. Evander Holyfield won the title four times.
The title became available after Oleksandr Usyk vacated it. Murat Gassiev, the WBA’s number one contender, had been expected to move up, but the proposed Joshua-Fury contest appears to have taken precedence.
Both Joshua and Fury previously lost their world titles to Usyk.
Warren, who is also promoting the heavyweight title rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley this weekend, said plans were under way for unification fights 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 enters the contest with 30 wins, four defeats and 27 knockouts in his professional career. Fury has recorded 36 wins, two defeats and one draw, with 25 knockouts.
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