Oleksandr Usyk is a man in demand right now. The unified heavyweight champion hasn’t lost a single fight in his professional boxing career and has defeated almost all the best heavyweights of his generation. As a result, almost every heavyweight is now eyeing a shot with him. Reportedly, talks of a rematch against Daniel Dubois for the undisputed crown are heating up. However, Tyson Fury, who came close to defeating the Ukrainian twice but failed, is not a fan of that fight.
After losing two back-to-back bouts against Usyk last year, The Gypsy King announced his retirement from the sport on January 13, 2025, leaving everyone stunned. After all, a blockbuster British showdown against Anthony Joshua was still possible. However, a few days ago, rumors of him reversing his decision started to float. While the Manchester native hasn’t confirmed or denied the rumors, he shared his two cents about the next deserving challenger for Usyk. After all, who knows The Cat better than him?
Who should be Oleksandr Usyk’s next opponent?
No one needs a reminder of what happened when the Ukrainian defeated Tyson Fury for the second time in December. After the fight, Dynamite invaded the ring and stole the spotlight, issuing a challenge to Usyk, eyeing redemption for the August 2023 loss that Usyk gave to Dubois. Being the champion he is, the unified heavyweight champion immediately accepted the callout. Now all signs point to this clash happening soon. However, Fury is not on board with those plans.
According to him, rather than Dubois, it should be Joseph Parker who gets the title opportunity. Hours ago, ‘Pro Boxing Fans’ took to their Instagram handle to reveal that according to their conversation with the Gypsy King, it should be his friend Parker, who gets the shot next. “About time as well. Give Joseph Parker his shot,” said Tyson Fury, making his intentions clear. Well, the 36-year-old’s stance isn’t without merit.
Parker has been climbing the heavyweight ladder for a while now and was supposed to face ‘Triple D’ in Riyadh on the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol rematch card. However, Dubois pulled out of the fight at the last possible second, citing an illness, resulting in Martin Bakole replacing him. The Kiwi fighter made light work of Bakole, defeating him via a second-round KO, making his case for a title shot even stronger. Well, Tyson Fury is backing Parker, and if the Kiwi fighter does not get the opportunity now, he will eye the winner of the Usyk-Dubois clash if that fight happens.
While, The Gypsy King has shared his views on heavyweight title scene, what about his return? Are the rumors true? Well, veteran promoter Bob Arum has something to say about that.
Tyson Fury’s return up in the air
In a recent interview with BBC 5 Live Boxing podcast, the veteran promoter gave his candid opinion on Tyson Fury’s return. Despite the Gypsy King’s long history of reversing his retirement decisions, Arum believes that this one won’t be reversed.
“If I was a betting man, I would say he will never fight again,” the promoter claimed. Arum referenced Marvin Hagler’s famous quote, “A rich guy who goes to bed wearing silk pyjamas doesn’t get up in the morning to do road work,” claiming that Fury has achieved everything and is financially secure enough not to step back into the ring ever again.
Reportedly, the Manchester native earned over $100 million from his two Usyk fights, which might have reduced his motivation to endure the grueling demands of training. “Tyson, really, I don’t think wants to get up in the morning and do road work and go through the experience of having to train when economically he doesn’t have to do it anymore,” Arum concluded.
While the veteran promoter makes a valid point, it won’t be a surprise if the Manchester native steps back in the ring again. He has done it a few times before and is vocal about his “love-hate relationship” with boxing. Whether he will come back or not remains to be seen. However, after two back-to-back losses, finding a place in this electrifying heavyweight division will indeed be a bigger challenge for him.
Do you think Joseph Parker deserves a shot at Oleksandr Usyk before Daniel Dubois? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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