Tyson Fury has had his say on possible opponent who 'couldn't lace my boots'

Tyson Fury once claimed potential opponent Joe Joyce "couldn't lace" his boots.

Fury experienced his first professional boxing defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk in May. The 35-year-old suffered a split decision loss after enduring a savage ninth-round demolition by the Ukrainian fighter, narrowly escaping a knockout before the bell came to his rescue.

The ex-WBC champion is gearing up for redemption on December 21, when he faces Usyk once more in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Post-Usyk fight plans for Fury are still up in the air, with the outcome expected to play a major role in shaping his future.

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Fury maintained after the defeat that he would hang up his gloves only when he falls out of love with boxing, leaving room for several more high-profile fights in his career. In April, before facing Usyk, he named Joyce among a list of 10 fights he was considering.

He said: "I'll do Usyk, Usyk (again). AJ (Anthony Joshua), AJ. That's four. Then I might back a Daniel Dubois in or a Joe Joyce. Joseph Parker. Maybe Deontay Wilder. Maybe a European guy and a trilogy with Usyk afterwards."

Fury and Joyce already knew each other well from their sparring sessions. Joyce had spent two weeks training with the 'Gypsy King' in Big Bear, California, prior to Fury's first bout with Wilder.

Despite swirling rumours that Joyce caused Fury problems, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist clarified that neither fighter was knocked out during their training. Fury went on to claim a draw and two victories against Wilder, while Joyce delivered a stunning