ANTHONY JOSHUA thought “f***ing hell” when he heard Tyson Fury was starting on Francis Ngannou.
Back in October, 35-year-old WBC champ Fury did 10 rounds with the MMA monster on his boxing debut and narrowly snatched a split-decision win after being dropped.
On Tuesday night in the Riyadh desert, as part of the AJ vs Ngannou fight week, Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh hosted a dinner with all of Friday’s boxers – plus the hyped-up Gypsy King.
The 34-year-old Watford legend had to pose for a photo with his Morecambe nemesis but missed Fury’s most wild antics and was stunned to hear he tried to start a row with the 19st kickboxing and submission machine.
“I wasn’t there when Fury was kicking off,” he explained about Fury fuming that Ngannou had called him a coward after their bout.
“I just heard he was stepping to Ngannou and thought ‘f***ing hell’.
“But apparently it was proper, he refused his handshake and promised to knock him out. But that’s Fury and Ngannou will have to get used to it on his boxing journey.”
Joshua kept ice cool but admits that if he was given the choice to sit in a tight room with a host of past and present rivals, his RSVP would be brutal.
He explained: “It is so funny because we all slag each other off online but that was probably the first time we were all in a room with each other and I realised there that it’s all bluff.
“People don’t like each other but just because of that, it doesn’t mean that we are going to fight each other.
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“Being there this time was the same situation so I knew how to handle it from past experience. I just stood in the corner, held my ground and scanned the room.
“His Excellency invited us to house and we respect the invite but I think if the lot of us were given the invite and told it was our choice, a lot of us would say ‘f*** that’.”
Unlike most of Fury’s previous opponents, cagefighter Ngannou held his nerve and his temper and sent Fury packing with a terrifying warning when they met.
“I was very calm,” he grinned. “I told him, the only chance he has against me is in the boxing ring.
“You can hit when standing upright but otherwise I know you can’t do s***.
“The only moment he has a chance is when boxing rules apply, if you take them away, I beat him from Monday to Sunday and maybe twice on Sunday.”
