Anthony Joshua believes a fight with Tyson Fury would be even bigger than his Wembley blockbuster with Wladimir Klitschko on April 29.
Joshua and Fury had a foul-mouthed twitter row on Tuesday, with former unified champion Fury branding Joshua a ‘poor man’s Frank Bruno’ and Joshua retaliating by mocking his weight.
Fury is currently in exile from the ring after being stripped of his belts and licence and is under investigation over a positive drugs test.
Anthony Joshua enjoys a chuckle as he takes a break during a media workout in Sheffield on Wednesday afternoon
As he continues his preparation to take on Wladimir Klitschko, Joshua has found himself in another spat with Tyson Fury
IBF heavyweight champion Joshua says a fight with Fury remains on the cards if his rival can sort out his many issues
The unbeaten 27-year-old exchanged words with the Gypsy King on Twitter, challenging the ex-champ to get back in shape
Joshua talked up a potential domestic superfight with Fury as bigger than his upcoming unification bout with Klitschko
Joshua was pictured during a media workout at his gym in Sheffield with the big fight at Wembley now looming large
Joshua said he had plans to fight Fury this summer but those ideas had to be binned
Joshua was in a relaxed mood as he worked out in front of the media, showing off what Fury calls a ‘bodybuilder’ physique
Fury engaged Joshua on Twitter but the former champion is currently in exile from the ring and very out of shape
But should he resolve his numerous issues inside and outside of the sport, a fight with Joshua remains the biggest bout in British boxing.
Joshua, who won the IBF belt vacated by Fury, said: ‘If it were up to me, that would have been the fight happening this summer. That’s what I thought.
‘I was planning for a massive showdown with Tyson Fury, but he had other plans and I just had to carry on. When he returns, I’m sure I’ll still be here.
‘Do I want him to come back? Yes, definitely.’
The Watford fighter prepares himself to train as he gets ready for the fight with Klitschko
Joshua admitted he wanted to fight Fury this summer but his rival ‘had other plans’, with AJ confident they’ill eventually meet
There was plenty of stretching as Joshua gets primed for his huge fight at Wembley Stadium
Asked what would be the biggest fight for him, Joshua added: ‘I think Tyson Fury, I think Tyson Fury.’
He continued: ‘Twitter is about communication and it’s just communicating. He addresses me and tweets me quite often and I was just in the frame of mind where I thought me and Klitschko don’t have much verbals, so let me respond to Fury.
‘For the five minutes it took it was distracting and then I had to go training. But I would have gone back and forth.’