‘The Gypsy King’ has some unfinished business before he eventually hangs up his gloves.
Tyson Fury was due to face Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 in a bout that would have, in theory at least, unified the major titles in boxing’s heavyweight division for the first time in more than two decades before a cut sustained above his right eye in sparring forced the postponement of the highly-anticipated fight until May 18.
But despite that disappointment, Fury says that fight fans will see him in action plenty of times across the course of the next several months and years.
In a video message posted to social media, the unbeaten Fury, 35, has rubbished claims from some sections of the sport that he should seek to hang up his gloves — and added that he expects to compete in what would be five very high profile heavyweight contests.
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“I keep hearing talk that I should retire, or I’m going to retire soon or whatever,” Fury said in the video clip.
“I ain’t going to retire anyway. I’ve got two fights with Usyk for the undisputed. Twice. Then I’m going to fight AJ (Anthony Joshua), at least once, maybe twice if there’s a rematch, if he wants one after the first battering of him.
“And then I’m going to fight Ngannou again. And that’s just a start. So there are five fights for you to whet your appetite. I ain’t going nowhere. Nowhere. 35-year-old in the prime of my life.”
With the first of those Usyk fights guaranteed (despite three prior pullouts), and a rematch with Ngannou appearing to make sense for all parties, it is interesting to see Fury once again float the idea of a fight with Joshua: a bout so long considered the golden goose of the British, and maybe even global, heavyweight scene.
Of course, a lot can happen that might get in the way of Fury’s five-fight plan — and it disregards rising challengers like Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang — but it does seem like Fury’s time in the heavyweight division’s top table is not yet close to an end.
