Anthony Joshua says Tyson Fury put his Rolex watch on the line when the pair had their one and only sparring session.
Joshua and Fury locked horns at Finchley ABC back in 2006 in a four-round spar which would prove the catalyst for a near two-decade long rivalry, which is still yet to be settled in a professional environment.
Speaking of their brief encounter, ‘AJ’ claims the typically bullish Fury dared sparring partners to challenge him and even offered his watch as a knockout bonus.
“So this guy called Tyson Fury, who I have no idea who he is, comes down the gym,” Joshua said on This Life of Mine podcast.
“And word on the streets is that Tyson said: ‘If anyone knocks me out, I’m the best heavyweight. If anyone knocks me out they get my Rolex watch.’
“Hey, I was looking at the cash. I’m saying a Rolex, yeah. I said, let’s go.
“Bell goes, we go at it, we go at it. I think we sparred about three or four rounds.
“Even Tyson, actually, he done an interview promoting the fight. ‘There’s this kid called Anthony Joshua, I sparred him down at Finchley Boxing Club. I’ll tell you what, he’s s**t hot. I believe he’s going to go on and do great things. He hit me with a shot that nearly took my head off.’
“And this and that.”
It remains unclear whether ‘The Gypsy King’ gave Joshua his Rolex, although neither have ever claimed to have scored a knockout.
Former two-time heavyweight world champion, Fury shared a similar version of events when recalling the spar, admitting his rival gave him a “beating.”
“He came out at me for three rounds and he gave me a beating,” the 36-year-old told BBC Radio London.
“I’m not going to deny it, he gave me hell for leather for three rounds. I thought ‘Oh my god, an amateur is killing me.’
“Being a professional, and I’ve been an amateur myself and fought all over the world, I slowed him down a bit with a few good body shots.
“The kid’s only 20, and I’m a handful myself, so for him to put up a good performance like that against a top prospect in me, I think he’s one for the future.”
Despite several previous failed attempts to make the highly-anticipated clash, the pair seem now closer than ever to finally colliding.
Turki Alalshikh, who is in charge of bankrolling events in Saudi Arabia, has revealed his intentions to finalise the showdown providing ‘AJ’ overcomes IBF champion, Daniel Dubois on September 21 and Fury gains revenge over unified champion, Oleksandr Usyk on December 21.
