Fury says Joshua is in it for one last payday before Cardiff fight
- Tyson Fury claims Anthony Joshua only agreed to their December 11 bout for a final payday.
- The two British heavyweights meet at Cardiff's Principality Stadium after years of failed talks.
- Fury says he will keep fighting after the bout and still wants a third fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
Tyson Fury has said Anthony Joshua only signed up for their December 11 heavyweight fight to collect one last big cheque, and that he doubted the bout would ever happen.
The two British former world champions meet at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, ending years of failed negotiations between them. Neither man has fought the other before.
Speaking to WSVN Miami from his training camp, Fury, 38, said Joshua had turned the fight down several times in the past. He said he did not believe Joshua had the courage to face him, and described the bout as a final payday for his rival.
“At the end of his career, now he wants a final payday. I will give it to him, no problem,” Fury said.
Fury said fans should expect a farewell to an era, with two fighters in their late 30s meeting for what he called pride, glory and a lot of money.
Fury plans to fight on
The former WBC champion said the Joshua fight will not be his last. He has two bouts left on his contract and said he would likely sign another 10-fight deal if the terms suit him, adding that any deal must come quickly because he is getting older.
Fury said he is approaching his 40th professional fight. He also named a third meeting with Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk as a main target, and repeated that he disputes the judges' decision in their second bout.
He also called himself the best heavyweight ever to put on gloves.
Demand for tickets has been heavy. More than 500,000 fans joined the queue, but only 80,000 tickets went on sale. The ring walks are set for 1am to suit American television audiences.
Fury is expected to start as favourite. Don Charles, trainer of fellow Briton Daniel Dubois, is backing him, arguing that Joshua has lost the jab that was once a key weapon since his 2019 defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua, 37, has said he is ready for the occasion. Speaking at the launch of Under Armour's HeatGear and ColdGear baselayers, he said pressure becomes a driving force once the work has been put in.
What happens next
The fight is set for December 11 in Cardiff. The late ring walk, timed for American viewers, means Nigerian fans will have to stay up into the early hours to follow it.
