Anthony Joshua has made a bold prediction ahead of his long-awaited heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury, saying he believes the fight could end as early as the first round when the two former world champions meet in Cardiff on December 11.
Joshua made the prediction during the first major face-to-face promotional event for the fight in London, where the two British heavyweights finally shared the stage after years of failed negotiations, postponements and uncertainty surrounding a possible meeting.
The fight is scheduled to take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, with the bout set to be streamed globally on Netflix. The contest will mark the first professional meeting between Joshua and Fury, despite the rivalry between the two fighters dating back almost a decade.
Speaking about what he expects when the opening bell rings, Joshua did not rule out an extremely quick finish.
“A knockout, if I am honest with you. Could be in the first round,” Joshua said.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion also made it clear that he wants his victory, if it comes, to be memorable.
Joshua said staging the fight in the United Kingdom was particularly important to him because of the fans who have followed his career. The venue had become a major point of discussion during negotiations, with the fight previously facing uncertainty over whether it would take place in Britain or the United States. The eventual agreement kept the contest in the UK.
A fight years in the making
Joshua and Fury have been linked with a blockbuster fight for years. At different points, negotiations appeared close to producing a deal, only for disagreements over contracts, venues and promotional arrangements to prevent the fight from happening.
That history made the recent confirmation of the December 11 bout significant for boxing fans.
The two fighters finally came face-to-face at their London press event this week. Rather than the heated confrontation many expected, the meeting was largely respectful, although both men still exchanged competitive remarks ahead of the fight. Reuters reported that the fighters praised each other’s careers while maintaining the tension expected from such a major heavyweight contest.
Joshua also used the event to remember two close friends who died in a car crash in Nigeria late last year. The moment added a more personal element to what was otherwise a major promotional event for the fight.
Fury has his own knockout prediction
Joshua is not the only fighter predicting a stoppage.
Fury has previously said he intends to knock Joshua out inside seven rounds, describing Joshua as a stepping stone toward another potential meeting with Oleksandr Usyk. Fury has twice lost to Usyk, with both defeats coming by decision in 2024.
At the latest press conference, Fury continued to promise an aggressive approach, saying he intends to engage Joshua rather than simply move around the ring and avoid exchanges.
That creates an interesting contrast between the two fighters’ expectations. Joshua is talking about a possible first-round finish, while Fury has publicly predicted that he will stop Joshua within seven rounds.
Joshua enters the fight after a dramatic return
Joshua’s recent form has also added another layer to the buildup.
The 36-year-old enters the Fury fight with a professional record of 30 wins and four defeats, including 27 victories by knockout, according to Netflix’s official fight information.
His most recent fight against Kristian Prenga ended in victory, but Joshua was knocked down twice in the opening round before recovering and stopping his opponent in the second. The performance has led to questions from some boxing figures about how he will handle Fury’s size, movement and experience if he experiences similar trouble in December.
Joshua, however, has insisted that his career will continue regardless of the result against Fury. He described himself as durable and difficult to beat while acknowledging that his vulnerabilities have also made some of his fights particularly entertaining.
A major night for British boxing
Fury and Joshua are both former heavyweight champions, but this will not be a world-title unification fight. Instead, the bout represents the culmination of one of boxing’s longest-running heavyweight rivalries.
Fury, 38, has a record of 36 wins, two defeats and one draw, while Joshua is 36 and has recorded 30 wins from 34 professional contests. Both have previously held major heavyweight titles and both have lost twice to Usyk.
The fight is expected to attract worldwide attention, particularly because of the long wait to see the two British stars finally meet inside the ring.
For Joshua, however, the message ahead of December 11 is straightforward: he is not entering Cardiff simply to participate in the fight. He believes he can end it quickly.
Whether his prediction of a first-round knockout becomes reality will be decided when the two heavyweights finally meet under the lights at Principality Stadium on December 11.
