Anthony Joshua had a wholesome moment with the father of his biggest rival ahead of his clash with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua is due to fight this year after suffering a devastating defeat to Daniel Dubois in his last outing.
This marked the Brit’s fourth loss, having been beaten previously by Oleksandr Usyk twice and by Andy Ruiz in a major upset which Joshua was able to avenge.
Joshua faced Dubois after putting together a string of dominant victories over the likes of Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou.
It was at the Ngannou fight that Joshua met the father of his greatest rival.
“I’m a big fan!” – Anthony Joshua shares a moment with John Fury
Ahead of the Ngannou fight, which ended in just two rounds, Joshua was waiting to take part in a photo shoot for the promotion when he bumped into John Fury, father of Tyson Fury.
Ngannou is one of six common opponents between Joshua and Fury.
John Fury is known for his antics, pulling his pants down at a Misfits press conference once, but appeared much more respectful and calm, complementing Joshua on his career.
“I’ve always liked you,” Fury said, “And I can see you being a world champion again.”
Fury finished: “I bet your family would be proud of you.”
John Fury speaks on his moment with Anthony Joshua
Speaking to Dev Sahni in ahead of the event, which had Fury’s other son – Roman Fury on the undercard, John was asked about his moment with Joshua.
He replied: “I’ve always liked Anthony Joshua. I’ve never said anything wrong about him, he’s a great fighter Olympic gold medallist, and he’s done a lot for boxing. […] He will be a world champion again, but I couldn’t get over how big he was.”
Speaking on the interaction itself, Fury said: “He showed me respect, he was lovely, and it was heartfelt. I’ve got nothing but admiration and respect for Anthony Joshua. It was a great moment for me.”
Joshua will return this year, eyeing a rematch with Dubois or a fight potentially with former foe Joseph Parker. AJ disregarded short notice as the reason for Bakole’s loss to Parker, and praised the New Zealand man.