The boxing world eagerly anticipates the day when heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally clash in the ring. Despite numerous attempts to arrange the fight, it has yet to come to fruition, and with both fighters approaching their mid-30s, time is running out to witness what would undoubtedly be one of the sport’s biggest showdowns. However, few know that Fury and Joshua have already faced off in a sparring session, with Joshua reportedly coming out on top.

The session took place at Finchley Boxing Club back in 2010. At that time, Fury was two years into his professional career, boasting an 11-0 record and having just defeated John McDermott for the English heavyweight title. Joshua, still an amateur, was making a name for himself as a rising star in the boxing world.

In a guest column for Boxing News magazine, Fury offered a Rolex watch to any sparring partner who could knock him out. Although Joshua didn’t manage to knock him out, Fury later admitted that the young amateur gave him a tough time. Recalling the session on BBC Radio London, Fury said, “I went down to Finchley Boxing Club and sparred with the ABA champion, Anthony Joshua. He’s red hot, very good. I thought to myself, ‘I’ll take it easy as he’s an amateur.’ But he rushed at me, threw a one-two and a left hook, and I slipped. Then he gave me a big uppercut right on the point of the chin. If I’d had a weaker chin, I’d have been knocked out.”

Fury continued, “He’s very, very good and he was only 20 at the time. He came at me for three rounds and gave me a beating. I’m not going to deny it; he gave me hell for leather for three rounds. I thought, ‘Oh my god, an amateur is killing me.’ Being a professional, I slowed him down a bit with a few good body shots. The kid’s only 20, and for him to put up a good performance like that against me, I think he’s one for the future.”

In 2016, Joshua briefly mentioned the sparring session in an interview with Sky Sports but chose not to delve into the same detail as Fury. “I just got my head guard on, gum shield in, and we just cracked on,” Joshua said. “Me and him just had a straight war. What I learned about Fury is we’ve got the same heart. We’re both fighting people and we go to war. I didn’t manage to knock him out. We both hit each other with some big shots, powerful shots.”

As fans continue to wait for the official fight between Fury and Joshua, this story of their intense sparring session adds another layer of intrigue to their long-standing rivalry. The potential match-up between the two heavyweights remains one of the most anticipated events in boxing, with fans hoping that both fighters will soon step into the ring to settle the score once and for all.