BoxRec

It's a big fight not a hot fight.

JOSHUA DOESN'T CARE ABOUT WBA BELT AT STAKE IN FURY FIGHT

Anthony Joshua couldn’t care less about the WBA inexplicably placing its WBA “super” heavyweight title on the line for his upcoming showdown with Tyson Fury.

“For me, I’m not fighting for no championship,” Joshua told The Ring’s CEO, Rick Reeno, on “The Mr. Verzace Podcast” recently. “I’m just fighting to be better than the man across the ring from me. I don’t care about no belt.”

Shortly after the 12-round bout between Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) and Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) was announced as Netflix’s headliner for a Ring card December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the WBA declared that its vacant “super” title would be at stake.

That doesn’t make sense to Joshua, a two-time unified champ and 2012 Olympic gold medalist.

When Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF, WBA and WBC titles in June, Murat Gassiev, who won the WBA secondary strap by stopping Kubrat Pulev in the sixth round in December 2025, was elevated to full champion. At the time, Gassiev was recognized as the heavyweight division’s lone WBA champion.

However, that will change in December, unless Fury-Joshua results in a draw or no-contest.

Fury, The Ring’s No. 3-ranked heavyweight, holds the No. 2 spot in the WBA’s rankings. Joshua is one spot behind him at No. 3 on the sanctioning body’s list of top 15 contenders.

The No. 1-ranked contender in the WBA, Jarrell Miller, is hoping to land a shot at Gassiev and his suddenly secondary title. The 32-year-old champion from Vladikavkaz, Russia, revealed in previous interviews that talks between his camp and Miller’s representatives are ongoing.

Joshua has always cared more about winning than hardware. But to a certain extent, he feels for Gassiev (34-2, 27 KOs) and his sudden demotion.

While he has no say in the matter, Joshua, who picked himself up off the deck twice to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, wants Gassiev to know that he still reveres him and everything that he’s accomplished.
“To Murat Gassiev, we still respect you as champion,” Joshua said. “He’s only done what he was supposed to do.”

Gassiev previously owned the IBF and WBA cruiserweight titles, before losing those belts to Usyk in their full unification fight in July 2018.

PRINCEKOOL wrote: ↑Yesterday, 13:57 Tyson Fury is expending a lot of energy in this build up already, and he is being played by Anthony Joshua.

Fury is panicking, because he knows that stylistically this is a very dangerous for him. But in comparison? This is not Joshua's most dangerous fight. If you could match Anthony Joshua in his biggest and most winnable fight stylistically within the heavyweight division, that match up would be against Tyson Fury'.

Note: Anthony Joshua is a Super Heavyweight fighter 'with proven elite level boxing skill and power. In reality Fury has not fought that combination of high level attributes since Wladimir Kiltschko'.

Tyson Fury may have beaten Wladimir Kiltschko 'but in retrospect it was underwhelming fight, Fury was on the back foot all night, and he never once hurt Kiltschko or had him on the verge of a stoppage. Great win in terms of historical significance, but completely overrated in terms of the action. Fury also disappeared for the rematch, unfortunately due to his then circumstance'.

If Tyson Fury fights Joshua in the back foot 'Joshua will just gain momentum as the fight progresses. If Fury thinks he can wade forward vs. a Super Heavyweight like Joshua, then the fight will be over real quick' etc.

As a Joshua fan, although I like your argument, a few doubts remain.

Fury surprised Wilder in their second fight by going on an early offensive, and Wilder was unable to respond.

When Dubois attacked AJ, he was also unable to respond accordingly.

Then of course there's all those doubts about AJ being shot (post that 'accident' in Nigeria).

AJ never had the best recovery powers in the HW division after being hit, but his near demise against Prenga was shocking.

Hrgovic is not the only one doubting AJs chances.

However, I do agree that Fury, despite whatever drugs he may have been using, is not his usual confident self here.

The reason could well be, as you say, "because he knows that stylistically this is a very dangerous fight for him"

Why else has he avoided this, the most obviously lucrative HW matchup in British boxing for decades?

I also think Fury being in the front row to watch AJs chilling demolition of Francis Ngannou might have something to do with it.

How could it have not?