INTERVIEW: Morecambe artist to unveil drainpipe sculptures of 'Tyson Fury fighting Anthony Joshua'

Friday, 16 June 2023 13:08

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Artist Anthony Padgett turns boxing referee to keep the sculptures apart!

An artist from Morecambe says he's managed to do what nobody else has - get champion boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to fight!

Anthony Padgett has created sculptures of the heavyweight rivals out of drainpipes and will unveil them at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe.

Mr Padgett, organiser of the upcoming Morecambe Bay Art Fair at the theatre, says he hopes to site his sculpture of 'The Gypsy King' permanently at a roundabout in Morecambe.

After being on display at the Winter Gardens, the sculpture of former world heavyweight champion Joshua will go to be sold at a Sickle Cell charity auction in London.

LISTEN to Anthony Padgett talking about 'Fury vs Joshua' and his Morecambe Bay Art Fair

"The fight everyone has been waiting for, between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, is to be staged at Morecambe Winter Gardens!" said Mr Padgett.

"The sculpture inspired by Tyson Fury needed a worthy opponent. Both depict the essence of the punch, the key moment in boxing.

"It is great to have a sculpture depicting Tyson's world achievement in Morecambe. Also to have a contemporary artwork shows Morecambe is progressive in its views of art.

"I hope both Tyson and Anthony like the work."

He said that as both sculptures are made out of drainpipes, it should be a "clean" fight!

Fury and former world champion Joshua, the two most famous and decorated British heavyweights of their generation, have never fought in the professional ring despite huge clamour from fans and media to see them battle.

Mr Padgett first unveiled the sculpture of the Morecambe-based WBC Heavyweight Champion Fury in 2021, gaining national media attention.

See the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua sculptures in 360 virtual reality.

In recent months, Anthony has been using his Art Boat moored opposite the Strathmore Hotel on Morecambe prom to display different pieces of artwork, including an inflatable pink elephant!

Anthony, who is also known locally as a vintage dance teacher, is no stranger to creating art in Morecambe - and indeed all over the UK - that gets people talking.

Large sculptures made out of storm drain piping was first pioneered by Mr Padgett in 2020 and includes his sculpture of Pablo Picasso's Guernica dove sited in Southampton to mark the arrival of 4000 Spanish Child Refugees in 1937.

Anthony's traditional life-like sculptures, including of war poet Wilfred Owen, Pablo Picasso and artist Vincent Van Gogh, are sited around the UK and in Europe.

He said he would also love to do a life-like sculpture of Tyson in bronze.

Anthony added that he hoped boxing promoters Frank Warren (Fury) and Eddie Hearn (Joshua) like the work.

The Morecambe Bay Art Fair takes place on July 1 and 2 at the Winter Gardens.

Tickets are available here.