Tyson Fury has slammed Anthony Joshua’s speech at the Black Lives Matter protest in Watford about supporting black owned businesses, as he believes he would have been “crucified” for making a similar comment.

Joshua was called a ‘racist’ and saw backlash after his speech during the Black Lives Matter protest in Cassiobury Park on June 6, where he urged people to support black businesses.

A short snippet of his speech, written by ‘Fatal Reece’ who could not be at the demonstration, went viral after he said: “show them where it hurts, abstain from spending your money in their shops and economies, and invest in black-owned businesses.”

With full context, the boxer was calling for people to uplift the black community.

After critics accused him of being a racist, Joshua posted a stern message on twitter telling them to “go and f***" themselves.

He posted online: “If you watch the full video, the speech was passed around for someone to read and I took the lead.

“I personally spoke from the heart about the Watford community, ideas of us personally investing seven figures to create unity and opportunities and adding change to the African/Caribbean community.

“Shops aren't the issue here. Before you talk s***, you better boycott racism.

"I said what I said, and I will act to make change."

Watford Observer:

Anthony Joshua at Cassiobury Park (Photo: Joseph Reaidi)

In a Behind The Gloves interview, Fury reacted to the controversy and said he would not have done what Joshua did.

He said: “I'm sure AJ has got his reasons why he said what he said, and its concern is none of my business what he said.

“That's his own opinion and everyone to their opinion.

'Whatever his reasons were, he's done it and it's in the past so it's moved on. I'm sure he's apologised if he's offended anybody - oh he actually didn't, did he! He actually said if you didn't like what I said, go f*** yourself. So no apology necessary.

“Let's just say, I'm not pushing knives in or pushing anybody when they're down but if it had been me who said it, ‘Don't shop in any black-owned stores or any Asian owned stores’ or anything, or don't buy from their businesses, then I'd have been crucified like Jesus Christ. I'll just say that."

Fury, who explained that as a gypsy boxer he has experienced his own form of racism, said he personally doesn’t care about what colour somebody is or what background they are from.

He said: “The thing is with Joshua, he's always got Eddie to talk for him and Eddie does all the media stuff and all that and he sort of just reads off a piece of paper.

“Even that speech he was reading, he read it off a piece of paper. Nothing is freestyle, everything is wrote out or planned. So, during the lockdown obviously Eddie wasn't with him when he did this, or else he'd have given him a right kick up the rear end.

“Because I think it's cost him a lot of pay-per-views, figures and stuff like that, and it's upset a lot of people because he's supposed to be the poster boy, the role model, the ambassador and talks bull**** like that. But it is what it is what it is. Everyone to their own. None of my concern, to be fair.”

Just before his speech, Joshua spoke to the Watford Observer and explained he wanted to invest into the Watford community.

He said: "What I do have to say is there is a lot of stuff happening around the world but I know when I come back to my community it's important that we get things right here.

"It's all about being the change you want to see. We are asking for a bit of direction.

"Our community wants to uplift each other. I've got so many plans.

"All we need from the local mayor is somewhere we can purchase to plough our hard-worked cash into the community.

"When you listen to what people need it solves the problem."

After the speech, Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor confirmed he would be talking with Joshua to discuss these plans.

The snippet of Joshua speaking to the public ended just after Joshua said to “invest in black-owned business”.

Just after that he read:” And that’s for all communities, if you want to uplift yourselves, invest in your own businesses. We have to engage with the youth, I completely agree with that, and put an end to black youth gang culture.”

After that he discussed the need to tackle other issues including ending gang culture and the need for everyone to “unite as a human race”.

To read the speech in full, visit here.