Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua’s knockout threat is merely a ‘lie’ and believes he knocks out his heavyweight rival ‘very early’. British fighters Fury and Joshua are set for a huge showdown fight in 2021, with talks ongoing to decide where the bout will take place.

Joshua retained his WBA, IBF and WBO belts with an impressive victory over Kubrat Pulev in December and subsequently warned Fury he wanted to take his ‘head off his shoulders’ when they finally meet in the ring. But Fury, who eased past Deontay Wilder in his last fight in February, has played down Joshua’s knockout threat and predicted an early stoppage against his rival. He told Fox Miami: ‘This fight has been brewing for a long time.

They have been avoiding me for a long time and now it’s finally got to happen. ‘They either run away from the fight and announce it publicly, or take the fight. Either way it’s a lose-lose situation for him. ‘It’s a nice quote. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s sticks and stones. People say a lot of stuff and they don’t back it up, so we’ll see.

‘I’ve never seen him take anybody’s head off anybody’s shoulders in all of his 22 fights. Probably a lie. Another lie. ‘We’ll see if he’s got the guts to try and do it when I’m standing in the ring in front of him. I don’t believe he has. ‘I don’t think he’s as good as people crack him up to be, or he doesn’t believe he is, in his own self. He’s got a confidence issue. ‘He’s coming off two shaky performances. Boxing is all about who is in form and who isn’t. On his last two fights he’s not in form, on mine I am. ‘Momentum is with me and I just believe I take him out early, very early. Maybe even one round, two rounds.’

Fury questioned why Joshua refused to directly call him out following his victory over Pulev but AJ insists he is desperate to beat ‘The Gypsy King’ to add the WBC title to his collection. Joshua told Sky Sports: ‘I basically said, “If Tyson Fury is the man with the belts, Tyson Fury is the man I want.”

‘That basically says, “I’ll fight anyone who has that belt, there’s no problem with the person”. I just want to go for the undisputed championship. ‘That’s what I was trying to say that night. He took it how he wanted to take it. I’ve never turned away from a fight. ‘I’ve never announced a fight and not showed up. I’ve fought six to seven champions, in my short career. Tyson Fury is another one of them. ‘There’s no reason as to why I see him any different to any other. If Tyson Fury is down, I’m ready, I’m keen. I’ve got four of the major belts, he’s got one. I’ll take that one from him.’