Anthony Joshua grudge match among five potential next moves for Tyson Fury
- Lewis Oldham
- 3 June 2022
After beating Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury claimed that he is now retired but there is a lot more for him to do before he rides off into the sunset.
In the lead up to his fight against Dillian Whyte last month, Tyson Fury was insistent that it would be his last professional bout.
Billing it as Fury's last dance - given the lack of promotion in the build-up - was largely seen as a tactic to boost interest in the Wembley bout.
'The Gypsy King' was able to ease past Whyte in his homecoming fight. The challenger was knocked around the ring and he barely laid a glove on Fury before the fight was waved off during the sixth round.
The 'lineal heavyweight champion' belted out Don McLean's American Pie in the ring as he always does after his victories. As he lapped up the admiration of 94,000 fans, he continued to maintain that he is now retired.
Now, an official announcement of this is yet to come. Fury - the boy who cried wolf - has "retired" before and his stance is rightly being taken with a pinch of salt.
There is indisputably a lot that Fury could do considering his boxing ability, star power and crossover appeal.
Though it may turn out that Fury keeps his word, thus making this article pretty pointless. Let's go for it anyway…
Staying retired
Boxing fans and those within the sport could be wrong to dispute Fury's retirement claims.
The 33-year-old has fought 34 times as a professional. This is a fair innings for anyone, but that does not tell the whole story.
After dethroning Wladimir Klitschko, the Brit's world soon came tumbling down as he battled depression and alcohol substance issues.
Many thought that he would never fight again, but he has done that and a whole lot more.
The comeback of Fury is one of the greatest sporting stories. There were people doubting him before his fights against Deontay Wilder, but the naysayers who questioned him are now very quiet.
In heavyweight boxing, anyone can be beaten if the right shot is landed. But Fury is as close to unbeatable as it comes and there is no doubt that he is comfortably the best of his era.
So you can understand his thinking that this is the right time to retire. After all that he's done, what else does he have to prove?
Fury has just come back from a luxury holiday in the south of France, and you could not begrudge him if he opted to live out the rest of his days focusing on his family.
Though to grow his case to be the greatest heavyweight of all time, there are a couple more names he needs to add to his résumé...
Anthony Joshua grudge match
The all-British unification bout looked all set to take place last year until Wilder's arbitration case ruined those plans.
Even after Joshua's loss against Oleksandr Usyk, the demand for the Fury fight is still great.
When you consider the money on the table for both men, it is hard to foresee it not happening at some point. Hopefully, it's just not an exhibition when they are in their 50s!
This is even a fight that does not need a world title. The history between the pair and the build-up would be enough to sell out Wembley twice over.
Fury and Joshua are arguably out clear as the best heavyweights from Britain currently. There was an argument one time that AJ is the better fighter, though it is tougher to make a case for that now.
Regardless there is intrigue surrounding Fury-Joshua and for the good of boxing, this cannot be another fight that falls by the wayside.
AJ rematches Usyk this summer and if the Brit wins, the Fury unification will be bigger than it would have been last year. Yet this may not be the fight we get next…
A clash vs 'The Cat'
The most likely next step for Fury in the boxing world is that he faces the winner of Usyk-Joshua II.
Usyk put in a masterful performance in the first fight, chipping away and outboxing Joshua to become a two-weight world champion.
After helping to defend Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Usyk is now in camp and preparing for the Joshua rematch.
AJ is going to have to come in with a whole new attitude and game plan if he is to have any chance of getting revenge.
Usyk is a special talent and he is a heavy favourite heading into the bout this summer. He is the only current heavyweight who could match - and perhaps outdo - Fury in terms of boxing ability.
As much as most fans want Fury-Joshua, the Gypsy King against Usyk is the better and more captivating fight.
The size difference between the pair would be a key factor in the potential bout, but Usyk has got the talent to overcome that to trouble Fury.
Again, given Fury's greatness, he would be the favourite against Usyk, but he will have to get in there and get the job done if he wants to have his name remembered alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
Having said this, Fury may already have half an eye on a certain UFC champion who was in the ring with him at Wembley.
A crossover fight against Francis Ngannou
The Nigerian is recognised as the hardest hitting fighter in the UFC at the moment.
Ngannou has beat the likes of Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos and he stopped Stipe Miocic to become UFC heavyweight champion at the start of 2021.
A crossover fight against Fury has long been talked about and the pair exchanged words following the latter's victory over Whyte.
The WBC world heavyweight champion has trained in MMA infrequently, but if they met it would likely be in the boxing ring.
It is yet to be seen whether this bout happens next, though if it does happen, it would be a major event. It is one of the biggest UFC-boxing crossover matchups that could be put on right now.
It would also be a smart route to go down for Fury. As hard a puncher as Ngannou is, he will know that the UFC fighter is no match for him as a boxer.
It would be a must-watch event and the pay-per-view buys would likely be significant.
It is an easier fight than Joshua or Usyk and it is possible that he would earn just as much money from it. So you can understand why Fury would be tempted.
A return to WWE
Fury has already made a name for himself in the entertainment world, appearing on various shows in the USA and UK. He has also made several appearances on WWE.
Following in the footsteps of Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and more, Fury's personality makes him a ready-made fit for the dramatic world of wrestling.
Towards the end of 2019, Fury made his WWE debut as he battled 6ft 8in Braun Strowman at WWE's Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
The boxer won via count-out and he pocketed around £11.9m for that night's work.
Fury has not appeared for WWE recently but he has left the door open for a return in the future.
Interestingly, WWE are back in the UK at the start of September. Wales' Principality Stadium plays host to their first UK PPV since 2003.
Fury is not yet advertised for the event, but it would be an appropriate place for him to make his first WWE appearance in a couple of years.
Expect him to earn a few million pounds for throwing a few clotheslines and landing a Hulk Hogan Esque leg drop in the near future.
