Heavyweight boxing great Tyson Fury updated fans on a potential return to the ring.
Tyson Fury seemed content in his decision to retire after a second-straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk in December. Fury’s two defeats to Usyk were the first two setbacks of his otherwise stellar boxing career, featuring wins against all-time greats like Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko.
Just days after the second defeat to Usyk, Fury formally announced his retirement, the latest in a slew of retirement promises throughout his career. But with the Usyk rivalry in the rearview mirror, and not many clear big-name fights on his radar, Fury’s latest retirement was largely accepted by the general public.
One potential fight that fans speculated would lure Fury back to the ring is a clash with fellow UK star Anthony Joshua. Fury and Joshua have been linked to a potential showdown for years, but the fight has never materialized.
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Tyson Fury speaks out after Anthony Joshua fight rumors spread online
The Fury vs. Joshua rumors resurfaced recently after Fury and his father shared they were en route to a ‘business meeting’, which led many to speculate Fury was close to signing off on a return to the ring. Weeks after the meeting, Fury updated his following on where things stand regarding a potential comeback.
In a recent Instagram post, Fury responded to recent rumors he’s close to a return to the boxing ring.
“I hear a lot of talk of the Gypsy King returning to boxing. What would I return for? More boxing belts? I’ve won 22 of them,” Fury said.
“I’m happy, content with what I have achieved, what I’ve accomplished. I’ve been around the world and back again. And this is what retirement looks like for the Gypsy King. Not too shabby. I’m in no rush at all to come back [to] boxing and get my face punched in. For what?
“What would I return for? I ask that question. So here we are. I’m retired and I’m staying retired. I’ve got nothing to prove to anybody and nothing to return for.”
If this is truly it for Fury, he walks away from boxing with a 34-2-1 professional record. An induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame is almost a foregone conclusion for Fury’s future.
Heavyweight division will have to move on from Tyson Fury…for now
After Fury’s latest definitive remarks on retirement, boxing’s heavyweight division will have to move forward without one of their all-time great combatants. Luckily, the division is in a great place, with a good combination of savvy veterans and up-and-coming stars.
One rising star is Moses Itauma, coined ‘Britain’s Mike Tyson’, who earned a vicious knockout win this past weekend. Itauma remains undefeated in his career and has recently attracted the attention of Daniel Dubois for a potential showdown.
Dubois is Usyk’s next heavyweight test later this summer, and Joshua is expected to return to the ring sometime later this year. Wilder will return next month at an event in Wichita, Kansas.
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