Lennox Lewis says Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are ‘shadows of their former selves’ as icon reveals fight prediction

LENNOX LEWIS fears Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are “shadows of their former selves” after letting their grudge match grow stale. The pair of British icons are due to finally settle their decade-long feud by sharing the ring this year. Lennox Lewis fears Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are ‘shadows of their former selves’ Credit: Getty Fury and AJ are set to fight at the end of the year Credit: Getty But Joshua has doubts cast over him Credit: Getty Fury, 37, is coming into it having breezed past 46-year-old Polish punchbag Mariusz Wach in Thailand at the end of July. And just 24 hours later, Joshua, 36, was given the scare of a lifetime when he was dropped twice by little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, 35. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! AJ climbed off the Jeddah canvas to KO Prenga in round two – in what proved a fitting comeback victory. It was Joshua’s first bout since surviving a horror car crash in Nigeria that sadly claimed the lives of his close friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami. The tragedy and shaky performance has left heavyweight great Lewis questioning AJ’s future in the sport. He told Ring Magazine: “Does he really belong in the ring right now? “A virtual novice put him on the ground twice in the first round. Is that it, have we seen the last of him? It’s not like he’s his old self.” Joshua and Fury had already signed contracts to fight before their warm-up bouts. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS The Home of Boxing in 2026 There's a massive year of boxing ahead! It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring. The Gypsy King has beaten Mariusz Wach in his second fight of the year to set up a huge fight with Anthony Joshua And AJ did the same, knocking out Kristian Prenga in the second round of a thrilling encounter – the Brit was knocked down twice in the opening round. Now fans are looking forward to Moses Itauma’s return for his toughest fight yet against Filip Hrgovic in August. Here’s all the big fights coming up… August Sat 1 – Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – DAZN Sat 15 – Claressa Shields vs Kaye Scott – DAZN Sat 29 – Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic – DAZN September Sat 12 – Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia – DAZN *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue. But AJ’s deal specifically stated that the bout had to take place in the UK – amid interest from America. Organisers including broadcaster Netflix prefer a US fight to capitalise on primetime viewing Stateside. It has left New York’s famed Madison Square Garden as a controversial frontrunner to host the legacy-defining all-Brit bout. And Lewis – who defeated Frank Bruno in his own 1993 Battle of Britain – edges Fury to win. He said: “Obviously, this has turned into a money thing. “The fight should have happened [years ago], but they want to make the fight, and [still] can make some money out of it. “You can’t say either is at their best now. Definitely, Fury is closer but both are shadows of their former selves. “I’d side with Fury, he showed me more in his two fights [Arslanbek Makhmudov and Wach] than Joshua has recently. “He boxed a YouTuber [Jake Paul], now boxed a guy who knocked him down twice and next faces Fury? That’s a big step up.” Comment now