Anthony Joshua has declared he 'needs' to fight Tyson Fury, as the pair prepare to return to the ring for their final hurdles before a likely showdown in 2022.
The two Brits were originally due to go head-to-head this summer but those plans were scrapped after an American judge ruled Deontay Wilder could have his trilogy bout with Fury, which takes place in Las Vegas on October 9th.
Joshua, meanwhile, is back in the ring on September 25th at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk.
Victory for the pair would leave the calendar open for a fiercely-anticipated clash next year, whereas defeat for either could knock the plans back further.
Both fighters remain keen on facing off in the ring and Joshua has now spoken about the necessity to face Fury.
"Do I need Tyson Fury on my record? I need it. Fight good fighters and they bring out the best of you," he told the BBC 5Live Boxing Podcast.
"We need it for boxing. Training camp is hard. To get better is very difficult in boxing. To fight Tyson Fury is a big challenge.
"I'm going to put that pressure on myself to actually get better. But it's what we all need, I need it. Come on, let's see how good I am.
"Let's see how far I can take myself during this period. It'll be a good challenge mentally. Not about him, but because I actually want to do well.
"When I wake up in the morning early and I'm tired, my body's battered, I still go out and do what I do. It's great rewards and only someone like Fury can give that to me."
