Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua excites me more than ever and Fury has the edge, says Johnny Nelson | Boxing news

This fight excites me more than ever, and I think Tyson Fury has the edge.

Listen, I’m an AJ fan, but it comes down to what we saw this weekend.

The shots that caught Joshua on Saturday, that sneaky little uppercut on the inside that caught him again, are natural shots for Tyson Fury.

Heart, determination, will and want, all I put in Joshua’s corner. But on Saturday’s performance and on Friday, it’s fury for me.

And believe me, it takes me a while to say that, because if I’m being honest with you, I never thought we’d see Anthony Joshua in the ring again.

I thought it would take him so long to get over what happened emotionally, mentally, spiritually. I think being in the ring, being in the gym training, maybe that’s what put him on the path to trying to fix himself again.

Watching him on Saturday, you can still see it bubbling over the top, still see a guy struggling to come to terms with something most people will never experience. It put a lump in my throat.

Just getting in the ring alone was an amazing feat and hats off to him for that.

Then the first round happened, and I thought what most people thought, “He’s gone, his punch resistance is gone”.

But then it was a case of “oh my goodness, this fight is going to be so exciting”.

He was hurt, he was hurt, he looked weak. Nigel Benn also looked vulnerable and was a dangerous fighter every time he stepped into the ring.

Joshua isn’t the fighter he used to be, but that weakness is exactly what will make Fury such a compelling fight to watch.

Are both fighters ready to face each other?

The risk is clear if they don’t fight each other soon; Watch Saturday night. So they have to fight next.

Preng has a knockout record – he can hit and he can hit – but he shouldn’t have been in Anthony Joshua’s league, point blank.

There is a word for AJ, though… mercurial.

He has a lot of talent but this is a case which turns into Anthony Joshua’s version.

The talented warrior we know was not in Jeddah. There was courage and heart, because after 20 seconds he was down and had to get up again.

But he’s still making sly mistakes, and you shouldn’t be making those mistakes at this stage of your career.

You have to give him a pass though, because remember what he’s coming from.

Boxing for him is not about money. I think it’s about creating some kind of stability within yourself.

They were boys when it started and they are now men. They’ve had losses and they’ve gained highs, and they need each other to bring out the best in each other.

That’s why, even with both men past their best, it’s even more exciting now.

The fight won’t start until the first bell rings. It starts with the build-up, the gamesmanship, how one fighter gets into the other’s head.

Where should the fight be?

Of course it has to be in the UK, I don’t think it will.

They can make as much noise as they want, and that’s what we want here. I think it’s going stateside because that’s where the audience and that’s where the paymasters realistically want it

Imagine being a fan at Wembley in November, on the tire seat, freezing cold, waiting for the early hours of 2am. I understand historically it should be here but I personally think it will end up in America.

Either way, this fight is five years behind the scenes. We’ve always wanted to see that, so whatever we get from both fighters, we’re going to make the most of it.