Tyson Fury Fires Back at Anthony Joshua: I Will 'Absolutely Annihilate' Him

Tyson Fury remains confident about his chances against Anthony Joshua once he's finally able to step in the ring against the heavyweight champion.

Joshua told Sky Sports' Gary Neville that he'd "smoke" fury in a head-to-head clash. Asked by Neville about those comments, Fury responded that Joshua "couldn't smoke a cigarette."

"I will absolutely annihilate that bodybuilder," he said. "And that's why Eddie Hearn's been steering around me for the last 10 years."

Fans have eagerly awaited the day when Fury vs. Joshua will become a reality. This past spring encapsulated how fate has intervened when the stars seemed to align for the massive encounter.

Fury announced in May the broad details had been finalized for an Aug. 14 fight in Saudi Arabia. Only days later, an arbitrator ruled in Deontay Wilder's favor, granting him another rematch with Fury, which forced the British heavyweight to put Joshua aside.

Now, Fury is scheduled to oppose Wilder on Oct. 9, with Joshua taking on Oleksandr Usyk on Sept. 25.

Hearn, Joshua's promoter, said in June that Joshua "never felt they wanted the fight," referencing Fury's camp. For his part, Fury told Neville he "[has] never been optimistic about this fight happening."

Perhaps another roadblock would've emerged had Wilder not thrown a wrench into Fury and Joshua's plans. But they seemed to be close to a finalized contract before, so it stands to reason they could be once again down the line.

And the continued animosity between the pair underscores how easy it would be to promote Fury vs. Joshua and turn it into the biggest boxing event of the year.