Anthony Joshua told he is not ready to fight Tyson Fury after Jake Paul KO

The former two-time heavyweight champion is set to move on to bigger and better things following his knockout victory over the YouTuber-turned-boxer on Friday night

Anthony Joshua is NOT quite ready to fight Tyson Fury despite his brutal knockout victory over Jake Paul on Friday night.

That is according to the Brit’s new trainer Iegor Golub – who believes the former two-time unified heavyweight champion needs at least one more outing before a potential fight with the ‘Gypsy King.’ Joshua recently dusted off some cobwebs in Miami against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

Joshua hadn’t fought since his fifth round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024 prior to his meeting with Paul. In a rather uninspiring Miami melee, the 36-year-old Watford native finally got the job done with a knockout win in the sixth round, having dropped his rival twice in the previous round.

Ahead of fight night, it emerged that Joshua had teamed up with Oleksandr Usyk’s team – who are expected to be in his corner going forward as the Brit enters the twilight stages of his career. Team Usyk’s Golub did not mince his words after ‘AJ’s’ display on Friday, insisting that Joshua needs at least one more challenger before taking on the ‘Gypsy King.’

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“We need one more fight before Fury, Fury is a very dangerous boxer,” Golub told The Voice of Boxing. “He has a lot of skills, a good intellectual fighter, he must be ready for this, not now.” Earlier this month, reports began circulating online that both Fury and Joshua are expected to meet in an all-British showdown next year.

However, they must first get through respective tune-up fights ahead of a potential summer clash. Joshua was far from impressive on Friday night, and a possible warm-up fight may serve him well. The 36-year-old merely used the clash as a way of getting some crucial minutes under his belt ahead of a February return.

As for Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer will not be tucking into a Christmas dinner later this week after he confirmed that he will be forced to eat through a straw having undergone surgery for his broken jaw. The boxing novice drove straight to hospital minutes after his crushing defeat to ‘AJ.’ He wrote: “Just got out of surgery. Everything went smooth. Thanks for all the love. Lots of pain and stiffness. Gotta eat liquids for 7 days S/o to the amazing team at Miami University hospital. Everyone was so gracious and caring.”

Immediately after the showcase, Joshua called for a fight with Fury, stating: “And if Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come out and fight one of the realest fighters that will take on any challenge. Step in the ring with me next if you are a real bad boy. Don’t do all of that talking ‘AJ this, AJ that.’ Let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.”

Ahead of fight night, both Fury and Joshua traded barbs on multiple occasions. The ‘Gypsy King’ branded ‘AJ’ “classless” after he said he could kill Paul in their fight. “It’s not even that it’s Jake,” he said. “It’s just… I was actually looking at myself – and I’m a very respectful guy brought up by a good family – but if I can kill you, I will kill you,” said Joshua.

“That’s just how I am and this is just the job I do. Boxing’s not such a fun sport; you can’t play boxing. So it’s not so fun if I’m honest, but it was just a great opportunity to get back in the ring and get back to big time business.” Fury, who is expected to return from his retirement next spring, then took to social media to vent his anger at his fellow countryman.

“I’ve just been sent a video of Anthony Joshua talking about, ‘If he kills somebody, he’d kill somebody in a boxing ring’,” he said. “I think he’s a little bit long in the tooth to be talking s***e like that. He’s 37 years old, at the end of his career fighting a YouTuber, a Disney Channel guy who [Tyson’s brother] Tommy beat.

“And now he’s talking about killing him and all that to try and sell the fight. He’s barking up the wrong tree, idiot. Here’s a fun fact, if I ever come across you, bum, I’m knocking you dead spark out. I ain’t a YouTuber or a man half your size, I am him, the man. You’re a classless loser, coming off a 15-month knockout defeat to a local lad. Imagine if someone from Morecambe knocked me out. You big bum, useless dosser. And I can’t wait if Jake Paul knocks you spark out you big bum.”

While nothing has been signed yet, promoter Frank Warren insists Fury will take the fight, providing the price is right. “What will encourage Tyson is the financial aspect of it,” he told Sky Sports. “I believe he’s got the beating of AJ, as does Tyson and the team. It’s all about the value of the fight. It’s a big fight and it’s worth a lot of money.

“Tyson has his price. If he gets his price, he’ll be in there to fight him.” He added: “Money will dictate where the fight takes place, it’s as simple as that. They will go where the money is, they’re professional fighters, they go in the ring and take punches for money. They’re no different to any other sportsmen, golfers, footballers, whoever it may be. They’ll play in whatever country they can generate the most income.”