Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua face off on stage as Eddie Hearn warns 'be prepared for war'
The pair will eventually step into the ring on December 11 after years of speculation
Tyson Fury and Anthony have faced off for the first time after the pair's "Battle of Britain" fight was announced.
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The pair took to the stage in west London, where promoter Eddie Hearn warned: "Be prepared for f***ing war on December 11."
Joshua was wary of the invitation because of Fury’s history of playing mind games, declaring with a smile that "I don’t know if I can trust you".
Fury chatted away at Joshua as they held eye contact before the Olympic gold medallist ended the exchange by tickling his opponent in the midriff.
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Fury even suggested to Joshua that they meet for a "pint of Guinness" once they had finished in the ring.
The bout has been dubbed the biggest in British boxing history and will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Cardiff, which previously hosted the all-British heavyweight clash between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno in 1993, emerged as a contender to stage the contest after negotiations appeared to flounder due to contractual issues.
Joshua’s contract with the Saudi promotional company Sela states that the fight must take place in the UK, with Wembley the obvious favourite despite its own curfew issues and lack of a retractable roof.
The scenario became more complicated when New York’s Madison Square Garden emerged as a possible alternative, and one potentially more favourable for the fight’s broadcaster, Netflix.
Following the developments, Matchroom promoter Hearn demanded Joshua’s purse be increased to reflect the additional tax paid for boxing in the United States.