To hype their fight, boxers trash-talk. In a few cases, even their fathers, who train them, join in throwing barbs at each other. But what happens if a kid joins the back-and-forth? That scenario played out when Tyson Fury’s son took it upon himself to heap insults on archrival Anthony Joshua. The youngster slammed the former undisputed champion, who refused a face-off against his father after an open call-out.
“Joshua’s a p***y,” Prince Fury told iFL TV’s Kugan Cassius. He don’t want to fight. He’s a chicken. Simple. He didn’t want to fight. Listen. I could hear it in his voice. He was f**king shaking. You hear that sh*t. He stood back and f**king backed off. No, I don’t know about that.”
“Listen, if he wants to fight, he can fight,” he added. “He’s probably going to get his face dropped off, but you know, leave him to it. If he don’t want to fight, he don’t want to fight. Me dad don’t care. Pretty much it.”
His blunt take quickly grabbed attention. However, mother Paris Fury stepped in and warned him to act right.
“You better behave yourself,” she said. “You’re not there yet. You ain’t there yet. You have to get your dad behind you when that happens.”
Prince Fury’s comments sparked reactions on social media, with one fan even suggesting he “acts like a young Tyson.”
But beyond the noise, the bigger story remains the same. The matchup between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua continues to divide fans, with some suggesting the fight has lingered for too long to hold the same appeal.
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: Words fly before the first bell
Seen in that context, Joshua dismissing Fury’s open call-out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a mere promotional gimmick feels puzzling to some.
Fury defeated heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov in the headlining bout of the Netflix boxing event. The 12-round contest marked Fury’s return after a retirement that lasted over a year. The arena erupted as he addressed Joshua.
“I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua! Let’s give the fight fans what they want, the Battle of Britain,” Fury shouted from the ring. “And here’s my challenge. I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King, next! Do you accept my challenge? Let him say yes or no. Let him say yes or no now. Come on, you big sh—house, are gonna fight or not?”
That callout drew an immediate response. Sitting ringside with his promoter Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua, however, declined to engage.
“You ain’t gonna tell me what to do,” he responded. “I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. When you’re ready, you come and see me and tell me your terms and conditions, and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. I’m the boss. You work for me. I’m the landlord. Remember that. I’m the landlord. You work for me.”
Even with those mixed signals, Fury remains adamant. Entering the final phase of his career, the fight against Joshua still stands as a key target. He has made it clear – he wants Joshua next, or he might consider retiring again.
The coming weeks could shape the direction of a Fury matchup. Eddie Hearn has also hinted at Joshua stepping in against Deontay Wilder before facing Fury by the year-end. If that unfolds, AJ may avoid further awkward moments where a confident youngster questions his courage.
