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Oleksandr Usyk has made it clear he won’t take Tyson Fury‘s retirement at face value, dismissing the boxer’s latest exit as anything but final. Just months after scoring a second dominant win over Fury in December, Usyk insists the Brit is still in training and could return – a strong signal that a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua remains on his radar.

On January 13, 2025, Fury officially announced his retirement following back-to-back defeats to the Ukrainian southpaw.

It was Fury’s fifth retirement in a career marked by dramatic comebacks. Yet Usyk, speaking to The Stomping Ground, was unimpressed: “I think he’s not retired. I think Tyson continues training, continue boxing, because he’s a great man,” he said.

That statement carries extra weight given Fury‘s history of walk-outs. His exits in 2013, 2017, and 2022 were all followed by eventual returns – making his latest retirement announcement sound more like a pause. Usyk referenced this legacy of comebacks to reinforce his prediction that Fury may reemerge yet again.

A clear path to Joshua looms

Usyk’s dismissal of Fury‘s retirement isn’t just lip service – it’s strategic. With Fury allegedly set to sit it out, Usyk hinted at an even bigger showdown: a long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua. He is openly rooting for that fight to cap off his career.

Usyk currently heads into a July rematch against Daniel Dubois, but has already earmarked Joshua – and even Fury – as preferred opponents for a potential swan-song.

This showdown with Joshua would be a blockbuster – Usyk has twice defeated “AJ” (in 2021 and August 2022), both times defending or reclaiming his undisputed status

A trilogy rematch with Fury also remains on the table, should Fury re-enter the ring.

Behind the scenes, Saudi promoters like Turki Alalshikh are already plotting grand finales for the heavyweight division – including Fury vs. Joshua or Joshua vs. Usyk.

But Usyk‘s blunt assertion that Fury’s retirement won’t stand suggests he wants every large-scale option open – especially one that sees Joshua forced to rise or retire.

For now, Fury remains officially retired, and Joshua is rehabbing an elbow injury while negotiations continue. Usyk, however, is already thinking ahead.

Whether Fury stays away or returns once more, one thing is clear – the heavyweight landscape is shifting, and Usyk is eager to book his final act against the fighters who define his era.

Usyk Didn’t Hesitate When Asked If Tyson Fury Should Stay Retired After Beating Him Twice

Oleksandr Usyk has given his view on the retirement status of Tyson Fury.

‘The Gypsy King’ walked away from the sport back in January just weeks after a second consecutive defeat to Usyk. The first was in May 2024 when he failed in a historic bid to become undisputed champion, and the rematch went the same way with Fury losing a unanimous decision after 12 rounds.

The announcement dashed hopes of Fury and long-time British rival and fellow former champion Anthony Joshua fighting, at least for now. Joshua – who also lost twice to the Ukrainian – has not fought since September when he was stopped inside five rounds by current IBF ruler Daniel Dubois, and has been recovered from an elbow injury since to prepare for a comeback in the second half of this year.

Fury has retired before and made successful comebacks to the sport, so he has precedent for it. Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Usyk was asked about Fury and whether or not he thinks he is really retired. When it comes to fighting ‘AJ,’ the former undisputed champion says he prays it happens.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

“I think he’s not retired. I think Tyson continues training, continues boxing, because he’s a great man. Yes, Tyson Fury a lot of speak, blah blah blah blah blah, but he’s a great man … I believe in Jesus so I pray to say hey, help these two guys organise this fight. It will be a great fight, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.”

Right now, the man from Morecambe remains away from the sport and as such, Joshua is being linked with potential fights with the likes of Deontay Wilder instead, who makes his own low-key comeback later this month.

As for Usyk, he rematches Dubois in July on a bid to become two-time undisputed heavyweight champ.

Fabio Wardley is hoping victory over Justis Huni can prove to be a springboard to an eventual world title shot at Oleksandr Usyk.

Wardley and Huni clash on Saturday night at Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town, and both men are seen as having bright futures in the heavyweight division .

Neither man has tasted defeat yet, but only one can push on towards bigger fights with heavyweight titles very much the focus for the victor.

Last year, Wardley provided a reminder of his incredible power as he blasted Frazer Clarke in the opening session to close the door on their terrific rivalry that also saw them draw in the first half of 2024.

Whoever comes out on top on Saturday night in East Anglia will immediately tum their focus to July 19 at Wembley Stadium.

There, Usyk and Daniel Dubois will collide for the undisputed heavyweight title, and Wardley has given his thoughts on when he will be ready for a fight of that size.

“Is this the fight to get me over the line? Probably not. There’s more stepping stones to be done,” said Wardley when speaking to Sky Sports .

“Ultimately it is 100 percent a step in the right direction and a step into that contention. If he’s [Usyk] saying he’s got two fights left, do I think I would be his next fight? No.

“Early next year is when I’ll be in a prime spot to push on for one of them actual full-on world titles, whether he’s still around at that point or not is only a question for him really.

“But if he is, I’ll 100 percent be pushing my mandatory [shot] and trying to get that done.”

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Tyson Fury would ‘surely’ come out of retirement to fight Daniel Dubois if the latter defeats Oleksandr Usyk.

That’s according to talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver, who believes a Dubois victory would heighten Fury’s temptation to make a return to the ring.

Dubois faces Usyk at Wembley Stadium on July 19 with the chance to become the first British undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years since Lennox Lewis.

Usyk unified the heavyweight division in March 2024 by defeating Fury, but the Ukrainian was forced to vacate his IBF strap to pursue a rematch with ‘The Gypsy King’ in December, which he won again.

During that period, Dubois was crowned the IBF heavyweight champion after stopping Filip Hrgovic, and ‘DDD’ retained the strap when he shockingly knocked out Anthony Joshua at Wembley last September.

This derailed plans for Joshua to fight Fury next, with Dubois now set to lock horns with Usyk.

Speaking on talkSPORT Boxing, former professional boxer and European champion Oliver discussed how this bout could play an important role in Fury’s future.

“When you’re talking about modern legacies and eras where the best fight the best,” Oliver explained.

“Let’s throw this into the mix: let’s say Daniel Dubois goes and beats Oleksandr Usyk on July 19—then what does Fury do?

“Because all of a sudden, you have this new kid, Daniel Dubois, who’s put himself in the conversation.

“When you’re talking about the best in modern eras, you’ve also got Anthony Joshua floating around there as well, and of course, you’ve got Tyson Fury.

“Surely, that’s enough temptation for Fury to come out.”

Fury confirmed last week that he was ‘staying retired’ from the sport, saying he sees no reason to come back for another fight as he is happy with what he has achieved.

However, ‘The Gypsy King’ has left boxing several times before, hence many fans still believe he will make a return.

A fight with Joshua is what they all want to see, but Oliver believes a name like Dubois could also define Fury’s legacy.

“Yes, the Joshua fight is the one we’ve wanted to see for many, many years,” he added.

“It’s not as big as it once was, but we still want it. But now, you’ve got this young kid – Daniel Dubois – still in the mix, and you’ve also got Moses Itauma coming through.

“That’s where Fury’s at. If he retires now and you’re looking at his legacy—yes, the trilogy with Deontay Wilder, and going over to beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, that was a great victory.

“But then where do we go? We’re talking about Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora… so you need the other big names.”

Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Dubois has the chance to add the WBO, WBC and WBA titles to his collection in what is a rematch just under two years from his controversial first meeting with Usyk.

Usyk knocked out Dubois in round nine on a night in Poland back in August 2023 after the Ukrainian great was floored by a shot in the fifth frame that divided the boxing world

Some claimed it was a legal body shot, while others said it strayed low, but referee Luis Pabon determined the punch was illegal.

Usyk was then allowed four minutes to recover before bouncing back and stopping ‘DDD’ with a stiff jab.

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com ahead of his second bout with Usyk, Dubois revealed a unique ritual he has been practicing every day in the build-up.

“Where I train, I can see the Wembley arches. I’m staring at them every day [visualising the fight],” he said.

“I’m not [superstitious]. Just normal.  Everyone has that way about them, I’m more about routine.”

He later added: “When I close my eyes, I see a spectacular win, a spectacular knockout.”

Oleksandr Usyk has stated his readiness for a third fight with Tyson Fury if he resumes his career: “Trilogy? No problem.”

World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine made a statement regarding a possible third fight with Briton Tyson Fury. This is reported by UNN.

Details

During a conversation with Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, Usyk noted that if the Briton resumes his career, “maybe we will organize another fight.”

Trilogy? No problem. I’m ready. Fight at “Old Trafford”? Yes, no problem

– said the Ukrainian boxer.

As you know, Usyk and Fury had two fights last year. The first fight took place on May 18. The Briton suffered a defeat by split decision. The rematch took place on December 21 and also ended with Usyk’s victory.

Recall

World heavyweight boxing champions Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and Daniel Dubois of Great Britain will hold their second head-to-head fight on July 19 in London. All four major heavyweight belts will be at stake: the Ukrainian currently holds the WBA, WBC and WBC titles, while Dubois owns the IBF championship.

Tyson Fury announced that he was ending his boxing career. The decision was made after the second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk.

Oleksandr Usyk wants either Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua for his swansong fight.

The Ukrainian superstar is set to face Daniel Dubois for the undisputed heavyweight titles on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in his penultimate professional outing.

It comes after the WBO Championship Committee voted to allow the four-belt shoot-out to come before a mandatory bout with interim champion Joseph Parker.

The Kiwi will be ordered to box the winner of the fight after its conclusion.

But Usyk has made it clear that he would rather box the faces of British boxing instead.

“Right now my focus is on Daniel Dubois and that is what I am working towards,” Usyk told the Daily Mail.

“But, for my last fight, I have two options. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.”

Asked which one he would prefer to box, Usyk replied: “Tyson Fury.”

Usyk defeated Fury on points in a pair of epic duels last year, yet ‘The Gypsy King’ still believes he should have got his hand raise in both contests.

Commenting on social media on Tuesday, he said: “Beat the f***** 2 times the world knows the truth.

“Any time, any place. sucher (sic) UK next time 100k people.”

Fury retired from boxing after losing to Usyk for a second time last December.

However, he sparked speculation that he could be eyeing a return by posting a video of himself and his long-time trainer SugarHill Steward in the gym on Monday.

“Just in the gym. I just bumped into somebody you might know,” he said before turning the camera to Steward.

He then gave the biggest indication he will reverse his retirement yet, by saying: “You know what is coming.”

Steward concurred: “You know what time it is.”

Boxing fans will be hoping that Fury is hinting at the long-awaited all-British showdown with Joshua.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has had the grudge match at the top of his wishlist for some time, and was preparing an offer for the clash before Fury’s bombshell announcement.

A win there could elevate him into a trilogy bout with Usyk.

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has predicted who wins if Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder finally come to blows.

Both of these big men are former world champions, and both ruled concurrently for several years.

However, they never managed to negotiate a fight and both were kept busy with other contests until eventually they both got dethroned. It was Tyson Fury who beat Wilder twice in their epic trilogy after drawing the first fight. That kept Wilder away from the ring for a while, and when he did return after a first-round KO against Robert Helenius, he went on to lose to Joseph Parker on points, then got stopped by Zhilei Zhang last June. He is set to return to the ring against Tyrrell Herndon on Friday, June 27th, 2025. at Charles Koch Arena, Wichita.

Joshua lost his belts to Usyk in 2021, then failed to win them back in the rematch in 2022. He rebuilt with good wins over Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius and Francis Ngannou but then got stopped inside five by Daniel Dubois in September last year.

Wilder has recently spoken about his desire to make the match-up happen, saying it was ‘close’ and could happen as soon as next year.

“Not this year, for sure, but in the near future. Maybe sometime next year, maybe a year after that. Everything, all that, is close. We just all got to do what we gotta do.”

Speaking to Daily Mail Sport for a round of winner stays on, Usyk was asked who would come out on top between Brit ‘AJ’ and the American ‘The Bronze Bomber’, and he sided with his old foe.

“Anthony Joshua.”

Joshua is currently out recovering from injury and many fans hope to see him in with Tyson Fury next, should he come out of retirement. Wilder would also need to get some wins under his belt to help build a potential showdown with Joshua.

Oleksandr Usyk was sat ringside with Anthony Joshua as they watched Joseph Parker’s statement victory in Riyadh.

The WBO interim heavyweight champion produced a devastating performance as he knocked out Martin Bakole in the second round.

Parker called for a bout with Usyk after his sixth straight victory, with the Ukrainian watching on in the crowd.

Footage from ringside captured both Usyk and Joshua’s reaction to the knockout blow.

The pair could be seen intensely watching on before they were left stunned by Parker’s vicious overhand right.

Joshua leant back in shock as he rested his arm on Usyk, with the duo staring at each other in amazement.

Usyk could then be seen rising to his feet and applauding Parker, who he could now face next.

A bout with Daniel Dubois had been a possibility before the IBF champion was forced to withdraw from his scheduled meeting with Parker.

As a result, Bakole stepped in on short notice to face the New Zealander, who now has a professional record of 36-3 with 24 knockouts.

After the fight, Parker paid tribute to his opponent before calling for a blockbuster showdown with Usyk.

The 33-year-old said: “Martin Bakole, thank you very much for accepting the challenge and flying all the way here on short notice to give me a good fight.

“I just went out there, listened to Andy [Lee] and stayed calm, structured and composed to get the victory.

“I’m fit, I’m strong, I’m healthy, I’m sharp thanks to these two men and my hard work.

“Andy was breaking it down for me and I had to be patient. I want to say, who is next? How do I fight for the world title next?

“If Usyk wants a dance partner then I will get Frank [Warren] in here to lock in a fight. I want to be champion of the world again soon.”

Anthony Joshua 

Parker has now won six fights in a row since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022.

He also previously faced Joshua, suffering a unanimous decision defeat at the Millennium Stadium in 2018.

As for AJ, he has been out of the ring since suffering his fourth professional loss to Dubois in September.

Meanwhile, the Brit previously faced Usyk twice in 2021 and 2022, losing both bouts via decision.

As for the undefeated world champion, Usyk extended his record to 23-0 with 14 knockouts by beating Tyson Fury for a second time in December.

He had planned to face the winner of Dubois vs Parker before the former was forced to withdraw through illness.

Usyk remains keen on a unification bout with Dynamite, who he previously faced in 2023.

Dubois was stopped in the ninth round after dropping Usyk with a controversial low blow earlier in the fight.

The 27-year-old has since picked up wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua to move to 22-2 as a professional.

Daniel Dubois has been in the ring with both Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, and may be again soon.

The young Brit’s first world title tilt came against Usyk in August of 2023 after the Ukrainian had taken three of the four major belts from Joshua and defended them in a rematch.

Dubois tried to impose himself on the southpaw champion but was largely unsuccessful save for a moment in the fifth round when he would drop Usyk. It was immediately ruled a low blow and Usyk was given ample time to recover before getting back into his rhythm and scoring his first stoppage in three fights. Dubois was put down in both the eighth and ninth before failing to stand for the referee’s count.

While Usyk went on to become undisputed champion with a win over Tyson Fury, Dubois bounced back with wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, fighting himself into a position to hold the interim IBF belt and subsequently the full title when Usyk vacated it.

His first defence came against Joshua at Wembley Stadium, and the 28-year-old would retain his strap with an assured and destructive performance that saw him drop ‘AJ’ three times before the fifth round stoppage. Joshua did land a few heavy shots of his own in an attempt to turn the tide, one of which Dubois says felt like a ‘bomb going off.’

Despite that, in a recent feature with the Ring Magazine ‘DDD’ said Tyson Fury, who he has only sparred, hits harder than Joshua and that Usyk hits harder than Fury. A surprising outcome given ‘AJ’ is known as the knockout puncher between the three.

Dubois puts his belt on the line against Joseph Parker this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a win all but guaranteeing him a rematch with Usyk for the undisputed championship.

Anthony Joshua has seen the very best of Oleksandr Usyk so has a good idea of how he might have fared against Lennox Lewis.

Joshua came up against Usyk twice, the first time in 2021 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a second time the following year at Wembley.

Going into those fights he was a unified belt holder with wins against the likes of Kubrat Pulev, Carlos Takam, and Wladimir Klitschko, and a revenge rematch victory over Andy Ruiz Jr.

As such he was in a good run of form, but that came to an end after 12 tight rounds with the Ukrainian who managed to stay away from Joshua’s biggest shots and land plenty of his own punches to take away a points win.

The rematch went the same way and again left Joshua frustrated and without any of his world title belts. Usyk has since twice beaten Tyson Fury to cement his status as the very best of the current era.

The last time one man was as dominant in the division was Lewis back at the turn of the millennium when he became the undisputed champion.

In a round of winner stays on with Mail Sport Boxing, ‘AJ’ was asked who would come out on top if Usyk and Lewis fought but he couldn’t decide.

“50-50.”

He was then forced for an answer.

“Oleksandr Usyk.”

Usyk doesn’t currently have a fight scheduled but many hope he might take on the winner of the fight between Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois in a second undisputed contest.

Joshua, meanwhile, was hoping to fight Fury in what would be a career-defining fight, but Fury has since announced his retirement.