Anthony Joshua: "People want to see the undisputed championship so I have to fight tough guys like Pulev along the way to get myself in position"; AJ fights Kubrat Pulev on December 12, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles at stake
Wednesday 9 December 2020 06:15, UK
Anthony Joshua believes defending his belts, rather than vacating them, proves he isn't "ducking and dodging" but has questioned if Tyson Fury is as committed to deciding the world's No 1 heavyweight.
Joshua's IBF, WBA and WBO titles are on the line against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and his promoter Eddie Hearn insists "one of, if not the biggest fight of all time" looms in 2021 against WBC champion Fury.
"There is a genuine possibility, for sure," Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports about fighting Fury for the undisputed championship.
"I don't get involved in the show.
"When it's serious, I will be ready to rock and roll.
"I'm training hard and ready to defend my titles, all in the name of the undisputed championship.
"I'm fighting my mandatory so I don't have to give up my titles so I can fight for the undisputed championship.
"If I didn't want to fight for the undisputed championship, I would have vacated my IBF and taken an easier fight.
"People want to see the undisputed championship so I have to fight tough guys like Pulev along the way to get myself in position."
Bulgaria's Pulev has only ever lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 29 fights and is the IBF mandatory challenger - Joshua must also contend with WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk at some point.
But Joshua intends to "dissect, cut that face open, then brutally knock out" Pulev before advancing into a mega showdown against Fury, according to Hearn.
"That is the ultimate focus for everybody," Hearn said.
"As soon as victory presents itself on December 12, all the attention moves to the Fury fight.
"That fight we are committed to. We know the terms, we accept the terms, so does Fury.
"We have to dot the i's and cross the t's - get it announced, get it up and running, decide where it's going to be.
"We want to end this year with a big, big bang to get everybody excited to say: 'This is the biggest fight ever, with Fury and AJ'.
"It will never get bigger for British boxing.
"It is one of, if not the biggest fight of all time.
"Let's make it straight away, no excuses. Everyone wants it. I don't see any way it doesn't get made."
Joshua has reiterated that he tried to agree a fight with Deontay Wilder when they were both undefeated world champions but his rival wasn't as dedicated.
"They called me the ducker and the dodger! I had to fight everybody along the way," Joshua said.
"We sent [Wilder] lucrative offers but they didn't want any part of it. They made it look like we were ducking and dodging.
"I've had to fight everyone along the way to hold onto my belts and I'm still doing that now.
"People see how serious we are now.
"When [Fury is] ready, we will be more than ready."
Last month Wilder aimed a tweet at Fury saying: "You know I was offered more money to fight Joshua than I was getting to fight you. Again being a man of my word, I fought you."
Hearn sarcastically replied: "I thought AJ ducked you?"
Joshua then told Sky Sports: "When time goes by, naturally the truth will always reveal itself.
"He admitted it. We made him a lucrative offer but he wanted to face Fury.
"So be it. If that's what he wanted to do, fine.
"But he dragged my name through the mud."
"My body is just a vessel that carries my brain so I train my brain more so than my body," Joshua said on Tuesday when he arrived into 'the bubble'.
"I'm ready for war. I'm ready for a fight.
"The time will come when we go to war. I'm looking forward to that date.
"It's a privilege to be competing."
Watch Joshua vs Pulev on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, from 6pm. Book it via your Sky remote or book it online here. Even if you aren't a Sky TV subscriber, you can book and watch it here.
