Tyson Fury is still in his “prime” and his return to boxing is great for the sport, claims Eddie Hearn
Two-time world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, 37, confirmed at the start of January that he will return to fight in 2026, after announcing his retirement from boxing a year ago.
The Morecombe man, who has not fought since a second points defeat to heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, is first expected to take a warm-up fight before going in against one of the other big names in the heavyweight division later in the year.
Rival promoter, Eddie Hearn, from Matchroom Boxing had his say on ‘The Gypsy King’s’ return to the ring.
“It’s an interesting one,” promoter Hearn told Sky Sports News.
“I guess on one hand, you want to prepare yourself for a challenge against an elite guy. And on the other hand, you’re coming back after a long layoff. You maybe don’t want too much of a taxing challenge.
“I know some of the names that are in the mix, and I’ll leave that to Turki [Al-Sheikh] and Tyson Fury to mention those guys. We’ve got guys that would be up for the challenge.
“But, on the whole, great to see him back. He’s gone from not really posting on social media to every time I pick up my phone, there’s a new Tyson Fury story.
“Boxing can save you at many different stages in your life. I don’t think he was at a stage in his life where he needed saving, but you could tell that boxing once saved him, probably many times and, actually, now he looks happier than ever and full of life.
“Even away from boxing, I think physical training is the greatest form of mental help that you can get in so many different situations.
“And I think Fury looks like he’s buzzing at the moment. He’s over in Thailand, is it? Or wherever he is. He’s running every morning.
“He’s inspiring me! I look at it, I go, ‘good on you’. We’ve had a lot to say over the years, but I love the fact that he’s back in boxing.”
Fury turns 38 in August and Hearn had nothing but praise for his fellow Brit, who is signed to rival promotions, Queensberry, “I think he’s an incredible fighter. I think he’s brilliant for the game. And he can be involved in some huge fights.
“And by the way, he’s still in his prime. He lost two very close fights to Oleksandr Usyk. It’s not like, ‘oh, he’s finished now’.
“So yeah, great to see him back. It’d be interesting to see who he faces. I think they’re talking potentially around April time.”
A long-awaited fight with long-time British rival Anthony Joshua had appeared to be the priority for both boxers’ return, AJ is dealing with the tragedy that struck just before the New Year when he was involved in an RTA that sadly took the lives of his close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Adoyele.
Joshua required hospital treatment for minor injuries before returning to the UK, where he has already got himself back in the gym for a few light sessions, which suggests he will continue with his boxing career, which has been hanging in the balance since the fatal crash.
Hearn said Joshua is the “only voice” who can make a decision about his future in the sport.
“At this point, who knows? I think it’s not even something to discuss publicly, and even with AJ. So really, what was discussed in the past [about fighting Fury] is kind of irrelevant,” said Hearn.
“The key will be, if and when, Anthony chooses to return to boxing. When he does that, or if he does that, we will then start to see what a roadmap looks like. But as I said, at the moment, those conversations are a long way away.”
