BOXING fans hailed Anthony Joshua as a “straight up gentleman” after meeting with Tyson Fury’s dad John.
Joshua bumped into John on the week of his fight with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) March 3, 2024
@anthonyjoshua& John Fury cross paths on media day in Riyadh
#JoshuaNgannou#RiyadhSeason#KnockoutChaospic.twitter.com/wGsB4SElQb
John’s son Roman features on the undercard paving the way for AJ to run into his great rival’s old man.
And after the two shared a warm embrace and hug fans had nothing but praise for Joshua.
One said: “Honestly how you can hate on AJ?”
Another added: “Joshua is THE Champion. Great bloke and a straight up gentleman, don’t get many like that in boxing these days.”
One commented: “True respect.”
Joshua, 34, and Fury, 35, have spent years feuding but are yet to have their Battle of Britain.
Although respect has always been shown between AJ and John – something the Gypsy King ribbed his old man for.
Fury told iFL TV: “He keeps blowing my dad off like, ‘Oh, I think John Fury’s a legend, he’s a top bloke.’
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“Whatever you’ve got going on with him, I don’t like it, sever ties with the old p****. Man’s a p****, s***house.
“All of a sudden he’s my dad’s best friend, ‘Oh, I want to go out for a drink with John Fury,’ he said.
“I was like what the f***! Why doesn’t he want to go for a drink with me? Because I would punch him in the mouth.”
John said in the same interview: “I’d be privileged to go out for a drink with AJ. I’m my own man, I say what I want to say.
“This is a sport, we’re in a boxing game, AJ is a nice kid.”
Fury is set to fight Oleksandr Usyk, 37, in Riyadh on May 18 after he pulled out of the February 17 date due to a cut sustained in sparring.
Meanwhile, Joshua faces Ngannou, 37, after the MMA star dropped Fury on his boxing debut in October despite losing a controversial decision.
