Tyson Fury has been backed to fight long-time rival Anthony Joshua (Image: Getty Images)
has thrown his weight behind the idea that former two-time heavyweight champion will return from retirement to face British contender .
In a shock move last month, the ‘Gypsy King’ after being bested by Oleksandr Usyk in December, declaring directly to his followers, “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” before adding, “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it. I’m going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side. Get up! ” The announcement has since stirred debate within boxing circles, with many pondering if Fury is genuinely stepping away.
Meanwhile, Chisora made headlines himself . Riding high post-victory, Chisora listed Daniel Dubois, Usyk, and Joshua as potential adversaries for his 50th and final fight, urging fans to weigh in on who he should challenge last. Notably, both Chisora and Joshua share an amicable history, having trained together at the Finchley ABC amateur club.
After his victory in Manchester on Saturday night, Chisora remarked: “I need something big. I think I’ve earned something big.” The British fighter expressed doubts about facing Joshua, anticipating that he would next fight Fury instead. “Who knows? Right now AJ is healing himself after the defeat from Daniel Dubois.He’s not ready yet. When he’s ready he’ll come back and I think he’ll come back – not to fight me but to fight the ‘Gypsy King’. I’ll let the public decide [who next]. I’ll let you guys decide.”
Asked by a journalist whether he was enticed by the prospect of fighting Francis Ngannou, Chisora quickly dismissed it: “I don’t think Francis Ngannou will come back to boxing after the AJ loss,” he said. “I want to fight a fighter.” He humorously added, “I might fight Jake Paul, who knows?”
Chisora wrapped up his comments with a reflection on his emotions: “I think I’m getting old. It was very emotional for me. When I arrived I said to myself before I left my hotel, ‘I’m not going to cry’. It was very emotional for me and very sad because I love this game so much. So I just started crying. I was crying like a kid.”
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has indicated that time is ticking for Tyson Fury if he wants to face Anthony Joshua in the ring. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hearn said: “None of us know what Fury will do next, but if we are to see the fight in the summer, he would probably have to come out of retirement in the next three or four weeks. After that, the summer gets difficult for a fight of this size. The future? Hopefully […] I think he will be back, but it’s in his hands.”