Bellew Picks Joshua by KO Over Fury in Cardiff Showdown

Tony Bellew has spent weeks hedging on Fury-Joshua. Now he's planted his flag: Anthony Joshua by knockout. The former cruiserweight and heavyweight champ told Fight Your Corner that AJ remains one of the division's most destructive punchers, and that power will be the deciding factor when the two British heavyweights finally meet at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11.

The reported prize is the WBA 'super' title, which means the winner walks away a three-time world champion and, just as importantly, with bragging rights over a rival he's been circling for the better part of a decade. Joshua carries a 29-4 record with 26 knockouts into the fight; Fury sits at 36-2-1 with 25 stoppages and currently holds the No. 3 heavyweight ranking.

Why Fury's the Favourite

The betting markets lean Fury, and the recent form backs that up. He outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov over the full distance and forced Mariusz Wach to retire on his stool after seven rounds. Neither night was a highlight reel, but both were comfortable enough. Joshua's last outing told a different story — he was dropped twice in the opening round by Kristian Prenga in July before recovering to stop him in the next.

Those two first-round knockdowns are exactly why plenty of people expect Fury to find a stoppage of his own. If AJ's chin is as fragile as that performance suggested, a cautious, long-reaching Fury has the tools to exploit it over twelve rounds.

Bellew's Case for AJ

Bellew isn't buying the doubt. He'd previously admitted Fury could edge a points decision, but he's now convinced Joshua's raw power trumps everything else on the table. One clean shot, the logic goes, ends it — and AJ has 26 knockouts on his ledger to make the argument.

The pick landed after a surprisingly warm Wednesday press conference. Fury, long cast as boxing's premier mind-games merchant, showed no appetite for needling his opponent, and both men traded genuine respect. Whether that cordiality survives fight week is another question — but for now, Bellew's seen enough to commit to AJ stopping the Gypsy King in Wales.