The Gypsy King does not believe AJ had any issues going into the bout (Picture: Getty)

Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua’s shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. cannot be blamed on a rumoured knockout in sparring, while he applauded the decision to hold the rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua looked out of sorts as he was knocked down four times at Madison Square Garden against the unfancied Mexican, though he is adamant that he had no issues going into the fight.

And Fury – who will take on Otto Wallin in Sepetember – doubts that Joshua was KO’d prior to the fight and does not believe it would have had any impact on his performance even if he had.

Ruiz stunned Joshua in New York, with AJ later admitting he lacked motivation (Picture: Getty)

Asked how surprised he was by Joshua’s defeat, Fury told Sirius XM’s At The Fights show: ‘I wasn’t surprised at all because when I saw Joshua walk into the ring I said to everybody in the building, “I bet he gets knocked out, he doesn’t look like he wants to be there”.’




Probed on whether the sparring KO rumours were accurate, Fury continued: ‘I’m not so sure. What happens in the boxing gym shouldn’t cross over into the ring on the night. You’re there, you’re a professional.

‘Everyone gets hurt or dropped or knocked out in gyms or whatever. I hear these rumours time and time again.

‘I don’t pay into it too much, because it’s on the night what counts. He’s been a professional for a long time, he’s had a lot of fights professionally on a world level, so even if he was dropped or knocked out in sparring, it shouldn’t affect his performance on the night under the lights when it’s for real.’

AJ will look to reclaim all four of his belts in Jeddah later this year (Picture: Getty)

Joshua and Ruiz will rather controversially have their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December but Fury is a big fan of the decision to bring the fight to a different corner of the world.

He added: ‘I think it’s a good move because I remember Emanuel Steward talking about travelling around the world and fighting in different countries and it’s how you become an international superstar.

‘Muhammad Ali boxed in Manila, he boxed in Zaire, Africa, he boxed quite a few places around the world and that’s how you become a global phenomenon, by keeping boxing in different countries. But Saudi Arabia, they must be paying a lot of money that’s all I can say.’