I will beat Joshua easily —Tyson Fury

TYSON Fury claims he will deal with heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua ‘like a cat playing with a ball of wool’ if they ever meet in the ring.

The 28-year-old, who stunned boxing with his victory over Wladimir Klitschko back in November 2015, has been dealing with depression and has seen his weight balloon.

Fury’s licence to box was removed in October 2016, eight days after admitting taking cocaine to help cope with his depression, but he is optimistic he’ll be fighting again this summer.

And he has already started a war of words with Joshua, whom he describes as a ‘body builder’.

Speaking to BBC 5 Live boxing, Fury said: ‘I always said Wladimir would be my easiest fight. Now I change the goal posts, AJ will be my easiest fight.

‘I’ve never been more confident or serious when I say something, I will play with Joshua like a cat with a ball of wool – hands behind my back, making a right mug of him.

‘We’re in the business of sweet science. Sweet science does not consist of a body beautiful, iron pumping big fella.

‘It’s feinting, jabbing, moving, gliding around the ring, that’s the sweet science.’

Fury claims he will shed eight stone in weight to return to the ring in July, on the undercard of a show at the Copper Box Arena in London.

But this is assuming the British Boxing Board of Control reinstate his licence. They are currently considering their position, but Fury’s camp is confident it will be returned.

He added: ‘Joshua is a big man with a puncher’s chance and has no footwork, no speed or stamina.

‘He is what you call a boxer’s dream. I’ve had 18 months out and ballooned up to 26 stone.

‘I could come back with no comeback fights and still box rings around that body builder.’