Tyson Fury has maintained his return to boxing will take place next year, and now the ex-champion has been offered a route back to the ring.
Confirming his retirement from boxing earlier this year amid another failed pairing with Anthony Joshua, Fury will be forced to snap a two-fight losing skid in his return to action.
And sidelined since December, the Morecambe native dropped his second defeat of the year against Oleksandr Usyk — who fights Daniel Dubois in a rematch this weekend.
And targeting a trilogy with Usyk, former champion Fury has been welcomed back to the ring by one of the division’s biggest knockout threats.
Tyson Fury offered boxing return by Chinese star, Zhilei Zhang
Himself faltering as of recent times, in his last three fights, Zhang has lost twice against both Joseph Parker, and a February knockout loss against Agit Kabayal in an interim WBC heavyweight title fight.
But hoping to make good on a return to action sooner than later, Olympic silver medalist Zhang offered Fury the chance to fight him in his proposed return to the ring. Especially if he can compete in his native China, too.
“There were reports that Tyson Fury was speaking my name,” Zhang told Seconds Out through an intepreter. “Saying that, ‘I’ll fight him [Zhang] in China’.
“Let’s go, let’s do it in China,” Zhang continued.
And Zhang’s claims about Fury’s interest in a potential fight are far from unfounded. Before ever facing off with Ukrainian rival, Usyk, former WBC champion, Fury had some alternative pairings in mind.
Tyson Fury previously suggested Zhilei Zhang showdown
Failing to secure a fight with Usyk back in 2023, Fury — fresh from his decision win over Francis Ngannou and knockouts of both Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora was growing impatient.
And according to reports at the time, with negotiations hitting a stumbling block on a pair of fights with Usyk, Fury and his team floated the idea of facing off with Zhang.
However, with the pairing failing to ever come to fruition, Zhang would turn in back-to-back interim WBO championship fight wins, knocking out Joe Joyce twice.