Tyson Fury cited as the only reason Anthony Joshua hasn’t retired from boxing – ‘Can’t be nice to take’
George Groves believes Anthony Joshua hasn’t retired from boxing because he wants to beat Tyson Fury.
AJ is currently preparing for his showdown with Daniel Dubois, with the pair set to go up against each other at Wembley on September 21.
Should he win, it will fuel more talk about a potential bout with Fury.
The Gypsy King, for his part, is currently gearing up for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 23.
Should he get the better of Usyk, having lost to the Ukrainain in May, it would then open the door to a potential showdown with Joshua after years of speculation.
Groves, speaking to talkSPORT, has now opened up on Joshua’s career.
He feels the Watford-born star will hate how the narrative around Fury has changed in recent years, with his fellow Briton often dubbing himself the ‘people’s champion’.
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And Groves thinks the prospect of fighting Fury is the main reason he’s yet to hang up his gloves.
He said: “When you’ve been boxing for a while, when you’ve had those big fights – every fighter goes through a journey where it becomes a question of, ‘What am I in it for? What do I want it for?’
“And I don’t know what it is for Anthony Joshua right now.
“He was so adamant about becoming the [undisputed] heavyweight champion for so long.
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“Talking about way back when it was gonna be against Wilder. And the wheels came off. I think it’s a win over Fury.
“As a fighter with a fighter’s mentality you’re thinking Joshua was the poster boy of British boxing, Fury wasn’t, Fury was the villain.
“And then it turned so violently the other way, that can’t be nice to take.
“And Fury stands up and beats his chest and tells everyone he’s the people’s champion – there must be a large part of Joshua going, ‘What on Earth has happened?’
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“And if he can finish his career with a win over Fury, even if it is at the tail end of both of their careers, he can say, ‘The one time we got in the ring together, I beat him.'”
Whether the fight between the two men takes place remains to be seen.
Joshua needs to beat Dubois first, which will be no easy task given the strength of his opponent.
Eddie Hearn has previously said a fight with Fury could happen regardless of whether the Gypsy King beats Usyk.
However, a second professional defeat would rock the 36-year-old and potentially push him closer to retirement.