Tyson Fury: Anthony Joshua Hit Me So Hard I Was Almost Knocked Out for a Month

The recent war of words between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, following the 'Gypsy King's' latest victory, offered little clarity on whether the two British heavyweights will ever meet in a professional bout. However, it served as a potent reminder that they have indeed traded blows before. Back in 2010, Joshua, then a burgeoning 20-year-old amateur, got the better of Fury during a sparring session. "I schooled you when we were kids," Joshua declared, refusing to rise to Fury's provocations or accept his fight offer.

Subsequently, an audio recording resurfaced from an interview Fury gave to Steve Bunce around the time of that sparring session. In it, the then-English heavyweight champion vividly described being "schooled" by the young Joshua.

"I sparred with the ABA champion [Anthony Joshua]. He's a fire, he's very good. Honestly, I thought I had to go easy on him because he's just an amateur and wouldn't want to spar again if I went all out. He came at me, landed a left-right, I was trying to evade and take my time, and then – bam, he hit me with a right uppercut straight to the chin. If I had a slightly weaker chin... I would have been knocked out for a month. But he's very good and very young – 20 years old. Remember this name: Anthony Joshua. He's one of the great hopes for the future," the 21-year-old Fury told Bunce in 2010.

At that time, Joshua was still two years away from winning a gold medal at the London Olympics. Fury, on the other hand, already had 11 professional fights under his belt.

"I consider myself one of the best talents, one of the best heavyweights in the world, and he was attacking me for three rounds and doing damage," Fury stated. "I won't deny it, he made his presence felt, we fought hard for three rounds. I thought I could slow him down with a few good body shots, and I'm not an easy opponent myself. So, for him to put on such a performance against me, I think he's a fighter with a future. But sparring isn't a real fight, and fighting with headgear isn't professional boxing."

"I tell it like it is. If the kid wasn't good, I'd say so. But he is good, and I'll tell anyone that he schooled me during sparring," Fury further shared in the interview.