Anthony Joshua has shut down suggestions Tyson Fury is the best heavyweight boxer of his generation ahead of his bout with Francis Ngannou.
Fury is yet to lose a professional fight so far, winning 34 of his 35 bouts ahead of his own showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, which will take place in May.
Joshua has now responded to the praise the 35-year-old gets.
Yet AJ doesn't buy into the theory that Fury is the greatest, pointing his poor performance against Ngannou in October to vindicate his opinion.
Anthony Joshua has taken aim at suggestions Tyson Fury is the greatest heavyweight of his generation
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“I research Ngannou. I have watched Tyson Fury fight several times," he said.
"People claim he’s the greatest of many, many generations but, I think if I box Tyson Fury, a lot of similarities will happen in the fight.
“So I’m not surprised at all.
"In terms of Ngannou’s style, who Fury is, it’s just a boxing match.
"Well done to both of them, they put on an entertaining fight. But that’s in the past. That’s how boxing is, and we move forward now.”
There has, for many years, been talk of Joshua potentially locking horns with Fury.
It's a fight many fans around the world would love to see - and could yet happen if recent comments from the Gypsy King are anything to go by.
Joshua has been accused of ducking a fight with Fury in the past.
But the Watford-born star, speaking to Sky Sports, claims he has previously signed on to face both Fury and Deontay Wilder.
Speaking about Wilder specifically, he said: "I’m not saying it’s completely written off.”
“It’s a fight where everything was signed and sealed. It just needed both of us to deliver.
"And he didn’t meet his end of the bargain.
“You know what it proved to me, I’ve signed to fight Fury, I’ve signed to fight Wilder, I’ve signed to fight a lot of people.
"I just do good business. I’m a good prizefighter, I don’t duck a challenge.
"I'm always up for it. I just feel to myself I'll always be here and ready to fight any time."
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Anthony Joshua believes Tyson Fury struggled when he fought Francis Ngannou in October
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Ngannou isn't an easy opponent for Joshua due to his vast punching power.
Though he lacks experience, having had just one career fight so far, the 37-year-old stunned everybody by how well he performed against Fury four months ago.
And Joshua believes it will be a good test when they face off next month as he looks to judge how far he's come.
"He had a good outing as well against Tyson Fury who is the current WBC champion," he said.
"So I think it will be good for me to see where I'm at."
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will fight on March 8
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He added: "On this quest for greatness how far can I push myself?
"How much can my brain keep on going until it gives up and I'm like: I can't do it anymore?
"I want to keep on pushing my brain and trying new things. Get quicker, stronger, smarter in the ring. Face challenges, because I learn so much about myself.
"And then when it's enough, enough is enough."
