Sanchez says Fury’s activity and mentality still give him the edge as another tune-up fight pushes the heavyweight showdown back again
Abel Sanchez still believes Tyson Fury beats Anthony Joshua even after Fury’s decision to take another tune-up fight before their planned heavyweight showdown later this year. The veteran trainer pointed to Fury’s recent activity and Joshua’s long layoff while discussing the fight’s latest delay.
“Tyson has already got a fight under his belt. Anthony’s had some difficult personal problems as of late, so that could be a determining factor in how he [approaches] the fight.
“Hopefully everything’s okay with him and it’ll be a great fight. I still pick Tyson to win. I’ve always picked Tyson to win against Joshua. Fury’s one of those fighters that gets up for the opponent,” Sanchez said to Pro Boxing Fans.
Joshua has not fought since his sixth-round stoppage win over Jake Paul in December. Before that, he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. Fury, meanwhile, appears determined to stay active after spending much of the last two years on the sidelines following his back-to-back defeats against Usyk.
The possibility of Fury taking another warm-up bout before meeting Joshua has already created questions about timing. Jarrell Miller and Andy Ruiz Jr. have both been mentioned as possible opponents for Fury’s August return.
Even with both heavyweights signed for a fight later this year, fans have seen this matchup delayed too many times to treat it as guaranteed until both men are standing in the ring.
