Unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 23-1 (21) says he is not looking past mandatory contender Kubrat Pulev 28-1 (14), although he concedes his primary focus is a unification bout with WBC champion Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21).
“I’m working towards beating Tyson Fury, whether the bookmakers, believers or doubters want to be with me or not, I have to believe it. I am working towards beating Tyson Fury,” the 30-year-old WBA, WBO and IBF champion told DAZN.
“It’s in a way overlooking Pulev, but I’ve gotta look through Pulev because I’m gonna walk through Pulev.
“That’s the mindset. I’ve gotta walk through him. When it comes to Pulev, he ain’t on my level. I want the boys at the top.
“I ain’t worried about the boys, you know, around me. I’m walking through them all, and that’s the mindset that we have to have as fighters.”
Joshua suffered a setback last June when he was upset by underdog Andy Ruiz Jr in seven rounds at New York’s Madison Square Garden before reversing the result in Saudi Arabia in December.
“I’m looking at Tyson Fury like I’m gonna walk through him as well, because I had my issue last year, I got through it and I wanna correct it,” Joshua said.
“And I told you like people don’t know what that does for a fighter mentally, when he loses in front of the world, and what it takes to come back.
“And, you know, having this time to reflect has been a blessing in disguise. It’s been a blessing in disguise, so we’ll see what the future holds. When Tyson Fury is ready, I will not turn down that fight.
