Mike Tyson drops his official Fury vs Joshua prediction

Mike Tyson makes official Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua prediction.

The 60-year-old heavyweight legend has finally picked a side in the December 11 mega-fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Speaking to The Ring, Tyson revealed he will be rooting for Fury — but the reason is not what most fans expected.

“I don't know, it's because... if Tyson comes in right and avoids those punches, it's going to be interesting,” Tyson said.

“Joshua is a fast puncher. We'll see. I love Tyson, though. I can't go against him because of that alone [sharing the same name]. I would never go against him. I do not care who it is.”

The fight takes place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, December 11, in front of over 70,000 fans.

It marks the end of a rivalry that has simmered for more than a decade, with both men having traded verbal jabs since 2016.

Fury, 38, enters the contest as a heavy favorite with bookmakers.

He last fought in July, forcing Polish veteran Mariusz Wach to quit on his stool.

Joshua, 37, comes off a more dramatic outing — he was dropped twice in the opening round before stopping Kristian Prenga.

But Tyson’s prediction may face a late test.

Former heavyweight champion Frank Bruno recently suggested on the Fight Your Corner podcast that Fury may be carrying an injury into the fight.

“I looked at him the other day and I think someone was talking to me in the gym that he’s got some injury, which may stop him from going into the fight with Anthony Joshua,” Bruno said.

“And having that on your head ain’t nice.”

Bruno, who faced Lennox Lewis in the historic ‘Battle of Britain’ in Cardiff in 1993, has updated his own prediction for the December 11 clash.

Earlier this year, Bruno doubted how much Fury had left at age 37, suggesting old age may have caught up with the Gypsy King.

But after watching Joshua’s shock performance against Prenga, Bruno admitted he could not envisage an AJ win.

“If AJ can get there first he will do a number [on Fury], but I can’t see it because Tyson Fury is a very tricky customer, he can fight and once he fancies something, he is a dangerous guy,” Bruno said.

“[Joshua] has got to rely on it [his power], but how many times has Tyson been on the floor and how many times has he got up?”

“Deontay Wilder was an animal and he had him under control, Tyson Fury. I have always rated Tyson Fury, he has got a lot more skill than a lot of people give him credit for and he has got a lot of bottle.”

Still, Bruno gave Joshua a puncher’s chance.

“He is a very, very good guy, Anthony Joshua. He has got a puncher’s chance against Fury, but Fury is a very difficult guy, he is a very physical guy,” Bruno said.

The winner will become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight world champion, with the WBA (Super) heavyweight world title on the line.

Deontay Wilder is scheduled to fight Jai Opetaia on the undercard, live on Netflix.

Derek Chisora, who lost three times to Fury, has been in regular contact with Joshua during his training camp.

“I speak to [Joshua] every Friday after his week of training camp,” Chisora told talkSPORT.

“I send him a message asking him how it was, and he said 'yeah I'm killing it'.”

“So that is all I need to know, he's killing it. Whatever happens it is going to be an exciting fight on December 11.”

Chisora insists the showdown is coming at the right time, even though both fighters have seen their stock fall since the contest was first discussed in 2016.

“I am so excited about it,” Chisora continued.

“We are not getting it too late, it is at the right time.”

Joshua will start as the underdog.

Though he has won his two most recent bouts — against Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga — the fact that he took until the sixth round to beat Paul, and had to get up off the floor to defeat Prenga, suggests he is far from the destroyer of his peak.

What undoubtedly remains, however, is his vaunted power.