I'll do whatever it takes - Joshua vows to beat Fury but not expecting 2020 fight

Anthony Joshua is confident he knows how to go about beating Tyson Fury but does not expect to face his fellow Brit in a blockbuster heavyweight showdown this year.

Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, this week stated the English duo could do battle in a much-anticipated unification before the end of 2020, amid talk that Deontay Wilder may pull out of a trilogy fight with Fury.

A fight with mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev is due to be WBA, WBO and IBF champion Joshua's next assignment, while Fury is contracted to face Wilder for a third time.

WBC champion Fury and Joshua verbally agreed to two fights next year during a coronavirus crisis that has caused uncertainty over scheduling.

Joshua is focused on overcoming his next hurdle in the form of Pulev, but already has in mind how he plans to defeat compatriot Fury.

He told Capital Breakfast: "I've got a winner's head on my shoulders, so I'm going in to win.

"You know, you work Tyson's body, I know certain shots that he's vulnerable to as well, so I kind of create those opportunities as well. With a winner’s head on my shoulders I'll go in there and I'll do whatever it takes by any means really."

By any means necessary pic.twitter.com/XitdFmZMWu

— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) August 29, 2020

Joshua knows both he and Fury have "banana skin fights" to get through before they can finally meet.

He added: "We've got to put them on an equal playing field because if I say 'I've got the bigger test' or 'he's got the bigger test', you never know what's going to happen.

"They're both banana skin fights. It's like 'get past this one then there's the big one next', so this one is just as important as the big one.

"When the time is right we'll fight. We're keen but I've got Kubrat Pulev first which is a mandatory defence, which I have to do. Once I get past that I'm a free agent.

"I'm going to say we'll fight next year but everything else that comes with it, I've just got to put to the back of my mind and just focus on Kubrat Pulev. Once I get past him, hopefully Fury will be the next one in line."