Tyson Fury is preparing to return to the ring despite his tough defeat against Oleksandr Usyk.
The “Gypsy King” faced Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night in a rematch of the fight he lost in May. But once again, Fury had a tough night as he lost by unanimous decision.
The English boxer was angry with the referees after his defeat and stressed that Usyk had received a “Christmas present”. This was only the second defeat in his professional career, with 34 wins and one draw in his other fights.
Although he is 36 years old, there have been reports that he might retire from boxing. But it seems that the former world heavyweight champion is preparing for a new fight soon.
According to a report from The Sun, Fury returned to Manchester on a private jet on Sunday. He plans to spend a traditional Christmas at his home in Lancashire before publicly commenting on his future. But he told friends: “This isn’t over yet,” suggesting he is looking forward to getting back in the ring.
Promoters are already discussing a £250m “Fight of Britain” fight against Anthony Joshua.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that Fury’s only option after his defeat to Usyk was to face Joshua. Hearn said: “There is only one fight for Tyson Fury, and that is against Anthony Joshua. It is probably the biggest fight in British boxing history.
“Everyone will always want to see it. For me, Joshua vs. Fury is the most important one. “It will be a big global event.”
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren is also interested in staging the Joshua fight. He told The Sun: “This is what people want to see. If it happens, it will be a great fight. But it will only happen if Tyson wants it, and that is up to him.”
Fury’s immediate focus was on beating Ukrainian superstar Usyk. He criticised the referees for the way they calculated the points but did not rule out the possibility of his retirement.
“I have no doubt I won the fight, that is what it is, we can’t cry about it,” Fury said. We felt a bit of a festive spirit in the ring and I think the judges gave him a Christmas present.
“But when you don’t get the knockout, that’s what happens, you can’t guarantee a win. “In this fight Usyk never hurt me, I only have some superficial wounds, and they will disappear in two or three days.”
He added: “What’s next for me? I’ll go home and get some rest. You might see me having another fight, you might not. Who knows? We’ll talk about that next year.”
