John Fury defends Anthony Joshua, claiming his team needs to ‘wake up the f***’ to help the British fighter return to the top of the sport.
The 33-year-old returned to the ring last April to defeat Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision, ending his two-year wait for a win.
It’s been a rough time for Joshua lately, who prior to that win had suffered back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, losing his IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles.
Joshua’s fight record now stands at 25-3, with the two-time 2019 unified heavyweight champion also losing to Andy Ruiz Jr.
It has prompted some, including Dillion White, to question whether the fighter can climb his way back to the top of boxing’s marquee division.
John Fury defends Anthony Joshua and claims fans should support him
It’s been a rough few years for Joshua (left) who ended a two-year winless drought against Jermaine Franklin (center-right) in April
The British boxer had lost back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk who lost his belts in the process
After his win against Franklin, Joshua also told Mail Sport he was “not happy” with the win, perhaps not the spectacular triumph he might have expected, but he admitted he still had a fight against Tyson Fury in mind . .
Fury’s father, John, has now come to the defense of the former world heavyweight champion and has called on AJ’s fans to stop criticizing him and stand behind him instead.
“Poor old AJ, stop handing the bat,” Fury senior said to Spencer Fearon at the Stamina for sale YouTube channel. “Support your man, support your man.
“We’re all British and he’s a fellow heavyweight. There are a few small up and coming British heavyweight stars and I support them all, they need all the support and attention we can give them.
“If you supported him before, support him now.”
“You don’t put the boot in when they’re down. He beat Jermaine Franklin, can he get better? Of course he can.’
Despite his critics, Joshua called his fight against Franklin “The New Dawn” and he now has something to build on.
He recently confirmed that he will not fight again until December, where he will reportedly face Deontay Wilder.
Fury, meanwhile, claims he knows the main issue Joshua faces, and that relates to his team, who he claims are not helping address the immediate issues Brit is facing.
“They’re digging in all the wrong places with him,” Fury continued. “AJ needs to be worked on mentally.
“They need to wake up the fuck up and recognize the obvious problem with the kid and work on it.”
Joshua and Franklin had to be pulled apart at their corners after continuing to fight after the final bell rang in their April fight.
After the fight, his promoter Eddie Hearn admitted that the Franklin fight was a “step back from Oleksandr Usyk.”
He said, “AJ is going to want the biggest fights.
“Tonight was a step back from Oleksandr Usyk, but the pressure was immense.
“He finished the fight well, but like he said, they’re not getting any younger. We would be willing to keep those conversations going straight into a Tyson Fury fight in the summer.”
Joshua and Franklin had to be separated after the final bell after they continued to fight
It marks a new chapter for the former heavyweight champion who will fight again in December
Joshua (left) recently announced that he will face Deyontay Wilder later this year
But others, including Carl Froch, doubted that Joshua still had the motivation to become a heavyweight champion.
“In the ring at world title level, he’s been there, done the business. And now I don’t know. What motivates him?’ Froch told the BBC.
“We talked about it, he wants the money. I don’t understand why he fights. I just don’t. It’s a dangerous sport. Money should not be the driving force if you have earned more than £100 million.
“I didn’t see anything in that performance that he wants to be world champion again.”
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