Lennox Lewis, others predict Tyson fury will outclass Joshua 

Former heavyweight champion of the world Lenox Lewis weighed with predictions on potential fights between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk as well as Nigeria born former heavy weight champion Anthony Joshua.

After Usyk beat AJ for the second time in the space of 11 months, it set up a historic unification bout with Fury.

It would provide the heavyweight division's first four-belt undisputed champion.

The last man to have that accolade was Lewis, but he reigned with only three of the belts as the WBO title was not recognised at the time.

Lewis, 57, backs Fury, 34, to replicate his success and emerge as another undisputed king from Britain.

He told ESNews:  “I’m a Fury fan right now.

I saw him beat Deontay three times and the way that he did it – he told us how he was going to do it.

"I didn’t believe him the second fight but I believed him the third fight and I watched him do it.

I always say a good big guy can always beat a good small guy.”

Joshua, 32, was linked with a mega-fight against Wilder, 36, following his latest loss.

Lewis has an affiliation to Premier Boxing Champions, who promote Wilder.

So he went against the grain and picked against AJ when offering his prediction for the heavyweight dream-fight.

Lewis said: “Definitely Wilder. Wilder has that thing in him where he wants to hurt you and every time he throws that right hand he’s trying to damage with it – he’s throwing it with intent.”

Joshua and Fury verbally agreed a two-fight deal for last year in 2020 but their plans were scuppered when Wilder won an arbitration case to fight Fury again.

Since then Joshua has lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world titles to Oleksandr Usyk, and was beaten by the Ukrainian again in their rematch last month.

But with Usyk not planning to fight again this year, Fury is now eyeing a mega dust-up with Joshua instead of an undisputed bout.

Here SunSport takes a look at the stats of both men in anticipation of a mega showdown.

AGE

AJ has the narrow advantage when it comes to age.

The Watford-born fighter is 32-years-old but turns 33 next month, making him just over a year younger than the 34-year-old Gypsy King.

EXPERIENCE

Despite taking several years away from the ring due to mental health issues, Fury has more experience on the canvas.

The WBC champ has fought 33 times, and is yet to be beaten, with 23 of his 32 wins coming by way of knockout.

His controversial draw with Wilder back in 2018 is the only blemish on an otherwise flawless record.

AJ meanwhile has fought 27 times in total, losing his unbeaten status against Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, and also being defeated twice by Usyk since then.

His 22 KO wins are one less than what Fury has managed.

PHYSICAL

Fury is also much bigger than AJ - who will not have faced much larger challenges in his career.

The Gypsy King stands at a huge 6ft 9in, a full three inches taller than his rival.

And after tipping the scales at 18st 12lb for his victory over Dillian Whyte back in April, he weighs 1st 6lbs more than AJ, who came in at 17st 6lbs for his recent defeat to Usyk.

WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE SAID

Talk of a fight quietened recently with Joshua focusing on Usyk, and Fury claiming he was retired after he beat Whyte.

But before AJ's first fight with the Ukrainian, plenty of experts weighed in with their opinion on who would win the all-British showdown.

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren: "Has AJ got a better jab than Fury? No. Is AJ a bigger puncher? I don't think so.

"Has he got a better chin? I don't think so. Has he got the hand speed or footwork of Fury? I don't think so.

"Tyson is so good in every department. When you saw him get off the floor from that punch by [Deontay] Wilder it tells you what he's all about."

Amir Khan: "My opinion, and I've always said that Tyson Fury is the best heavyweight in the division. With the skill set he has got, he beats anyone with power.

"What he did to Deontay Wilder, no-one would expect that. If that same Fury goes into a fight with Anthony Joshua, it's always going to be Fury that wins that.

Tony Bellew: "I just think AJ’s style will be all wrong for Fury. I believe that because Wilder has the bigger punch than AJ, but Wilder is not technically good enough to put Fury in a position to nail him and that’s why he couldn’t land on the night.

"Joshua is technically good enough, you’re talking about an Olympic gold medallist, a guy who is technically and fundamentally good.

"He does have speed, he’s a brilliant athlete, he functions the right way.

"I just feel that he would get to Fury. Don’t get me wrong, it would have to be within six rounds because anyone who goes past six rounds with someone like Fury, you’ve lost.

"The guy’s such an immense boxer, he can adapt in fights, he’s versatile and he’s just an amazing fighter.

"It’s a fight we all want to see and we have to see because if boxing’s going to remain one of the premier sports in the world, we need to see the best face the best."