Fury: All these champions have been gifted titles
Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his heavyweight titles has kickstarted a new era in boxing’s glamour division, but Tyson Fury insists that he hasn’t returned to the sport to spend his time trying to collect the brilliant Ukrainian’s old belts.
In April, two-time champion Fury (35-2-1, 24 KOs) returned from a 16-month long retirement to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. This weekend, he stays busy by boxing Polish veteran Mariusz Wach (39-13, 20 KOs) over 10 rounds in a Muay Thai arena in Pattaya, Thailand.
Usyk was universally recognized as the best heavyweight on the planet from the moment he beat Fury in their undisputed title fight in May of 2024. He remains The Ring champion, but his recent decision to relinquish his WBC, WBA and IBF belts means that a new raft of champions will now aim to prove themselves top dog.
Although the 37-year-old claims to be back in boxing for the long haul, Fury has no interest in getting involved in a bunfight to regain his old belts and made his position clear when asked where he fits into the current heavyweight picture.
“He doesn't. All them men's been gifted world titles,” he said at Wednesday’s final press conference. “They never actually fought anyone to get one. Fabio Wardley, gifted the world title. Daniel Dubois, gifted a world title. Agit Kabayel, gifted a world title. [Murat] Gassiev, gifted a world title. How could you compare them men to me, who’s fought the legends in the game and beat them for the titles? Not possible.
“They're in their own little group, and I’m on top of the Empire State Building.”
It does seem that Fury has more pressing business than challenging for a title belt.
As long as he beats Wach on Friday and two-time unified champion Anthony Joshua beats Albania’s Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, it seems more likely than ever that the pair will meet in a long overdue, but still enormous battle of Britain later this year.
Fury, however, made sure to emphasize that he will be able to pick and choose the path his career will take from this point on.
In October of 2023, Fury kicked open the door to the modern trend of crossover fights when he got off the floor to squeak past former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, and it sounds as though ‘The Gypsy King’ hasn’t ruled out the idea of exploring similar options in the future.
“All these guys, listen, they're all doing their thing. They're all going to fight it all out between themselves,” he said. “Even after being retired for 10 years, I could still come back and get a world title shot at any time, because I've paid the price. I've spent hours and years in this game to be able to do that. I'll always be a big name.
“Mike Tyson just came back at 60 and must have made $20 million. When you become a star and you become a conqueror of this game, you’re always welcome back at any age. “I'm sure if Lennox Lewis came back now at 60 odd, he'd get a title shot. I even hear Wladimir Klitschko's coming out of retirement for a world title shot.
“Boxing’s an addictive thing. It never goes. But as for rustling up and down with some cowboys, hell no. I want to just keep busy and do me. I paid the price. I fought four or five world title eliminators. I fought all the top contenders, champions, unifications, all that s---, and I've earned the right to do what I want.
“Now, whoever I want to fight from any sport, I can make that fight happen because I'm the GK. I do what I want.”
