Speaking exclusively to BOYLE Sports , former world champion Amir Khan has given his verdict on the heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury .
Khan , who has spent time with Joshua in Dubai , has called the fight a genuine 50-50, explained why AJ must rediscover his Olympic boxing IQ, and addressed the intrigue of Ben Davison having trained both men.
The former world champion has also drawn on his own experience of being the A-side to offer Joshua advice on handling the negativity, and backed Dana White 's involvement as something that would only make the event bigger.
AJ in Dubai
Have You Spent Time With Anthony Joshua in Dubai?
We've met each other a few times in Dubai and bumped into each other. He's messaged me a couple of times as well. I spoke to him two or three days ago. He trains and lives here in Dubai now. He probably wants that peace. A lot has happened in the poor guy's life.
He lost his two best friends; he's got a big fight coming up, and there's massive pressure on him. AJ is doing well. He's in Dubai now. I've seen him training here a couple of times at the gyms, looking really good and training with a lot of coaches I know. They've been saying he's looking strong and in good shape.
The Fight
How Do You See Joshua vs Fury?
My take is that when you're fighting someone who can bang, you're going to be on edge and ready for it. The guy who put AJ down in his last fight was not meant to put him down, but he caught him with a shot and shocked him.
AJ knows he's going into this fight with Fury and knows Fury can bang and can hurt him, so he's going to be so careful. He's going to have to bring that old boxing IQ from the Olympics back, where he's smart, in and out and not getting hit with shots.
Fury , on the other hand, knows he can get hurt as well. He's been down before in boxing, and he knows AJ is probably one of the hardest hitters who will hit him in the heavyweight division. AJ has still got the speed, and he's still got a bit of youth under him.
It comes down to how much they both want it. That's what makes it an exciting fight. To me, it's a 50-50 fight now. We've seen them both win and lose. Maybe Fury has a little bit more left in him, but AJ is still a fighter.
Is Ben Davison Training Joshua a Problem?
Fury is not going to go to Ben Davison and ask, what are his flaws? Joshua isn't going to say, what are Fury 's flaws? How do I beat him? Ben is going to train AJ to beat him, but I don't think it should be a b** move from Ben where he's saying, " This is exactly what he does because I know him.
Ben should give AJ the techniques and the game plan, but it's up to AJ** how he carries it out. A coach might know the fundamentals, how a fighter throws his jab, what he does or what shot he gets caught with. But when it comes to the fight, it's about the opponent and how the styles gel.
What Is the Positive Case For Joshua Beating Fury?
I'm sure he's listening to all the negativity he's getting, people on channels talking about him, the media saying he's going to lose, get beat, get knocked out, that he's finished and he's got no chin.
He's going to take all that and use it as energy. He'll want to prove a point. If he wins this fight, it ticks all the boxes, and people will be like, wow. It makes him a bigger name and a bigger star than people thought he was.
Do You Relate Personally to What Joshua Is Going Through?
I do because AJ is on top of the game in boxing, and I was on top of the game four or five years before him. I remember being in the position where you're the A-side, the big name, the superstar, but people will always point things at you: you got knocked down, you don't have it in you anymore, you're not as strong as you think. I used to think, look at my past, what I've done in boxing.
Do you guys forget that? My team were so good because they always told me, " Forget the negativity, forget the haters. They're going to say things because they want to put you down.
That's my advice to AJ . He needs good people around him who are going to tell him, " Forget them. Think about yourself. Think of all the great things you've already done.
This is the last bit now. Go there and do it. Both fighters are at that same level where you don't know what can happen. If you put them in with Usyk , you know Usyk is going to beat either of them all day long. But between themselves, who wins? That's what we want to see. They've both had hard, tough fights and hard careers. I think it's a farewell fight now.
The Promoters
What Do You Make of the Rivalry Between Dana White and Eddie Hearn?
He made UFC a mega billion-dollar company. Let him come into boxing. Why not? I think what happens is people hate when they lose a bit of power- that power trip.
Maybe Eddie feels Dana is going to take a little bit more power from boxing, and people are going to be watching him because he's got a big name. But we all want competition, and I think it's good to have competition. Eddie having competition with Dana White will show who is superior, either one or whoever comes through.
Should Dana White Be Involved in Joshua-Fury?
Definitely. Why not? If Turki Alalshikh and Netflix are putting the money down and they want Dana White involved, then that's their decision.
Whatever Turki says, you have to listen and keep that loyalty. If he wants Dana White involved, they can't say no to him. Maybe Turki doesn't want Dana involved and wants to keep it with the boxing guys, Eddie and Frank . Dana would bring a lot of excitement as well and make it bigger. Give him that chance. Give it a go.
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