Anthony Joshua has warned Mike Tyson not to fight the young lions of the division ahead of his highly-anticipated comeback.
Tyson, 54, is set to return to the ring against fellow icon Ray Jones Jr in an exhibition bout in California on September 12.
And the unified heavyweight king believes Tyson vs. Jones Jr can “add value” to the sport, but says the returning boxing legend should stay away from the current crop of champions as they’re “bigger and stronger.”
Speaking to Sky Sports, ‘AJ’ said: “You see a clip on social media and you think: ‘He’s back in action, he’s fighting fit.’
“But it’s like an old-time footballer doing a crossbar challenge!
I. AM. BACK. #legendsonlyleague. September 12th vs @RealRoyJonesJr on #Triller and PPV #frontlinebattle @TysonLeague pic.twitter.com/eksSfdjDzK
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) July 23, 2020
“Tyson hitting pads with ferocious behaviour is second nature to him. But to someone watching from home? It’s like he’s going to rule the heavyweight division.
“It’s a passion they both love, it’s what they know. Tyson has been fighting since he was 13. Jones’ dad pushed him to be a great.”
He added: “It’s all they know. They haven’t got to compete with the young lions of the division. We’re bigger, stronger, science has improved so we have more technology.
“If Tyson wants to come back and fight someone from his era, for the love of the sport? Crack on.
“I hope it adds value to the sport we love.”
ones Jr, though, reckons he and Tyson would have beat Joshua and WBC title holder Tyson Fury in their heydays.
“In our primes? We would probably have beaten them. You can never say, but I think we would probably have beaten them,” he told Sky Sports.
“Our skill level was deeper, at that time, than it is now. In our prime we would have come out on top against most of those guys.”
Meanwhile, Joshua is slated to defend his world titles against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in December, before facing Fury in 2021.
