“AJ boxing, I think Fury probably picks him apart,” Yarde said to talkSPORT Boxing.
However, Yarde believes the outcome changes dramatically if Joshua returns to the mindset that helped him overwhelm opponents earlier in his career.
“But if AJ happens to get this rough and tough thing back where he’s he wants to fight and just let shots off, if he hurts Fury, how Usyk did, he’ll finish him,” said Yarde.
Yarde’s comments reflect a debate that has surrounded Joshua for years. The Olympic gold medalist built his reputation on explosive knockouts, but adopted a more measured approach following his upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.
The light heavyweight contender admitted that his opinion of a Joshua-Fury matchup has evolved over time.
“Five years ago, even six, seven years ago, I was going with AJ around the time, you know, just after he fought Klitschko, and he was on this steam train,” Yarde said.
The long-discussed clash between Joshua and Fury remains one of the biggest fights available in British boxing. Joshua is scheduled to return against Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury is expected to resume his career later this year after announcing his comeback.
If both emerge victorious, calls for the heavyweight rivals to finally settle their differences inside the ring are likely to intensify.
