Anthony Joshua is far from fazed by Tyson Fury’s attack on him on Saturday night, saying it was ‘good to hear’ the Gypsy King talking up a fight between the pair.

Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night at Wembley Arena, defending his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles and seemingly setting up a huge unification bout with Fury next year.

It was put to AJ that his next fight would be against Fury, who holds the WBC title, and he was open to it without outright calling for the all-British bout. ‘I’m up for anything. Who wants to see Anthony Joshua box Tyson Fury in 2021? I started this game in 2013 and I’ve been chasing the belts ever since,’ Joshua said

‘Whoever has got the belt, I would love to compete with them. If that is Tyson Fury then let it be Tyson Fury.’

The Gypsy King responded with a video on social media accusing Joshua of running scared and promising to stop him within three rounds when they finally fight. ‘Well there you go everyone, Anthony Joshua just s**t himself live on television he got asked did he want the fight and he went around the bushes and put his arse in the edge,’ said Fury. ‘I want the fight, I want the fight next and I’ll knock him out inside three rounds. He’s a big bum dosser and I can’t wait to knock him out.’

Joshua insists that he does also want the fight and it is a contest that he has been preparing for years, going all the way back to watching Fury fight John McDermott for the English title in 2010.

He is also relishing the opportunity to prove the bookmakers wrong, who have installed Fury as the favourite for the proposed bout. ‘Has he? What did he say?’ Joshua asked of Fury’s message. ‘That’s good to hear. At least I can get him in the ring. That’s all we want, right? He’s on the right track.

‘Tyson Fury is talented and he’ll bring out the best in me. So that’s brilliant. ‘I really feel like his confidence, the bookmakers, me studying him – I’ve been to Tyson Fury’s fights when he fought John McDermott when I was still an amateur. ‘I went to his fight against [Dereck] Chisora. I’ve studied him I’ve watched him – so when I fight him, it’ll be good to change those odds and put them in my favour.’

Both fighters’ promoters have made it clear that they intend to make the bout next. Eddie Hearn said after Joshua’s win: ‘Starting from tomorrow [Monday], we make the Tyson Fury fight straight away. It’s the only fight to be made in boxing. It is the biggest fight in British boxing history. ‘I know he (Joshua) wants it, He is the best heavyweight in the world, I promise you. He’ll break him down, he’ll knock him out.’

Joshua hunted him, desperate for the knockout, and landed a brutal barrage of uppercuts and hooks which eventually toppled Pulev to the canvas.

It seemed likely to be all over but Pulev, whose only previous loss in 29 fights was against Wladimir Klitschko, survived to the bell after which he threw an illegal shot that fizzed past the champion’s face.

Joshua, eyes bulging and tongue out, stared a hole through Pulev and spoke to him as the next round was set to begin.

He regained his composure and, in the fifth, cracked home a big right hand which didn’t budge Pulev, who ended the round strongly after some feisty back-and-forth trash talk.

A spiteful fight became gritty and rugged in the sixth when Pulev began winging wild swings that didn’t hit their target, but did force ugly exchanges.

Three consecutive uppercuts from Joshua hurt Pulev in the seventh but still the tough Bulgarian would not cede ground.
Pulev then landed his best punch, a straight right hand, in the eighth.

But Joshua closed the show in the ninth with another colossal uppercut which crumpled Pulev to the floor for the second time.

Still Pulev rose but a right hand from Joshua sent him flying backwards and split his lip bloodily, ending the fight in a flash.

The fight that the boxing world now craves is Joshua vs Fury – they each have other challengers circling, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder respectively – but the two Brits putting every heavyweight belt on the line would be an historic occasion.