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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Tyson Fury's dad John urges son to stay retired following major U-turn
Tyson Fury has been training recently and has confirmed he will be coming out of retirement to face Oleksandr Usyk for a third time next year and his dad John has had his say John Fury would prefer to see his son Tyson stay retired following the boxing legend's recent change of heart. Back in January, Tyson Fury declared his surprising retirement from boxing after suffering consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. Nevertheless, he has since hinted at a possible comeback by sharing numerous videos of himself running and working out in the gym. This month, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed Fury will return to competition. "The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026. We have a rabbit to hunt!" he posted. Fury subsequently revealed that he will face Usyk for a third encounter - with the bout scheduled to take place next April. The 36-year-old took to Instagram and shared a fight poster featuring both himself and the Ukrainian, accompanied by the caption: "April 18, 2026 Wembley Stadium. The trilogy! UK. contact @spencerbrownmrgoldstar for tickets." Whilst the 'Gypsy King' appears to be preparing for a boxing return, his father wishes his son would remain retired. Speaking to The Stomping Ground, he said: "People want to see the Gypsy King, but I would rather him stay retired. He's done his bit for the boxing world. He still loves his fans and he thanks them all very much for what they've done, but it's only my opinion only I'd like to see him stay retired," reports All Out Fighting. Fury Sr recognises that fans are eager to witness the Brit return to action, but the 60-year-old remains firm in his stance. "Health, and he's got a family, he's other commitments apart from boxing," he continued. "He's done what he has to do in boxing, as far as I'm concerned, and he's got a lot of young children he wants to be a father to, and he wants to be a healthy father, not somebody that's ended up an imitation or one, you know. "So it's health before wealth. He's got the wealth, he's got everything else, he just needs to calm down and concentrate on what's important." Regarding his return, Fury informed supporters at a BoxFest event prior to Daniel Dubois ' clash with Usyk that he is anticipating his comeback. "For sure. I am open to offers at the moment. I am not going to do any comebacks this year. That is a fact. I have been busy. As you can see, I have got Netflix here. I am filming 'At Home With The Furys! Season 2," he said. "And next year, the big 'G K' is going to make a f****** comeback. The takeover! I am going to be 37 in about three weeks so I am going to be the oldest swinger in town. With all these young boys coming up, it is going to be difficult, but I believe I can put on some very good nights still." As for who he wishes to fight, despite being open to offers, he will not face both Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker. The two-time heavyweight champion has trained with both men in the past and shares a close bond with Parker. "They are my two brothers," Fury expressed. "They are both lovely guys and they are both future world heavyweight champions. Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker... he has been a champion before so he knows what it is about. I wish them all the very best in the world and I won't fight either man for any amount of money because some things ain't worth fighting for." When will Tyson Fury step into the ring next? Fury is expected to make his comeback next year, despite rumours of a clash with Usyk. Alalshikh is keen to arrange a bout between the 'Gypsy King' and Anthony Joshua. During a recent stint on 'The Boxing Voice,' Alalshikh disclosed that both fighters would need to participate in tune-up fights first before facing each other. "Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury next year, we are trying to do it and we are thinking about it," he stated. "Why? Because they are both coming off losses. It's to build it up." Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, recently gave an update on his star client's future and revealed that the Brit has reversed his decision to retire. In a chat with talkSPORT, he shared: "He's been talking about it a little bit. Some calls took place and there's an agreement made, that's all I can tell you at the moment." The 73-year-old added: "He has retired, up until he said he was coming back. Look, Frank Sinatra retired a lot. Like I've said to you before if that's how [Tyson] feels in the moment, that's how he feels. We'll see what happens, but he feels he wants it fight Usyk again."
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Tyson Fury names two fighters he will never face after announcing comeback
Fury has announced his stunning return to boxing earlier this month - but ahead of his return fight next year - he has already ruled out two names Tyson Fury has ruled out a showdown with Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker as he gears up for his return to boxing. The 36-year-old heavyweight, who had previously hung up his gloves in January after two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, has been teasing fans about a comeback. Earlier this month, Fury confirmed that he's lacing up the gloves once more, aiming for a ring return next year. Despite the Morecambe fighter's eagerness to get back into action, he has made it clear that he won't be fighting this year. Speaking at BoxFest on Saturday, before Usyk's clash with Daniel Dubois, Fury shared: "For sure. I am open to offers at the moment. I am not going to do any comebacks this year. That is a fact. I have been busy. As you can see, I have got Netflix here. I am filming 'At Home With The Furys! Season 2." He added: "And next year, the big 'G K' is going to make a f****** comeback. The takeover! I am going to be 37 in about three weeks so I am going to be the oldest swinger in town. With all these young boys coming up, it is going to be difficult, but I believe I can put on some very good nights still." Despite being open to challenges, Fury has explicitly stated he will NOT step into the ring with either Kabayel or Parker, reports All Out Fighting. The two-time heavyweight champion, who has previously trained with both Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker, holds them in high regard. "They are my two brothers," Fury said. "They are both lovely guys and they are both future world heavyweight champions. Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker... he has been a champion before so he knows what it is about. I wish them all the very best in the world and I won't fight either man for any amount of money because some things ain't worth fighting for." Fury has identified Usyk and Anthony Joshua as two potential opponents. The 'Gypsy King; retired after suffering back-to-back defeats to the Ukrainian and has been tipped to fight Joshua for quite some time, but a fight has never materialised. On wanting the two aforementioned names, the 36-year-old replied: "Listen, I want a few fights. All of these guys that you talk about can all have it. "The 'AJ' fight has been simmering for about forty five f****** years and it still has not happened. The Usyk fight. I have already fought that f***** twice and last time, I easily thought I won it. Did not get it. Did not cry about it. Who gives a s***? It is what it is. We are still here. We are still talking b*******. That is a fight I would definitely like to do here at Wembley and I hope I get what I want this time. The Joshua fight is there and even Dubois if he loses to Usyk." The British heavyweight has firmly ruled out a clash with Parker, but the New Zealander might just throw a spanner in Fury's works. The WBO could force Usyk to defend his titles against the Kiwi sensation next, potentially derailing plans for a Fury-Usyk showdown. At the post-fight press conference on Saturday night, boxing promoter Frank Warren was quizzed about his preferred next opponent for Usyk and he disclosed: "His [Usyk's] first defence of his title is the WBO belt and that will be against Joe Parker. So that again would be a great fight. "I mean I would like to see the Joe Parker fight. Joe deserves it. He's on a run himself, same as Daniel was on, and that's the fight that's been ordered. So one way or another it will happen, or Joe will fight for the vacant title. Tyson has made it very clear to me; he'd love that [Usyk] fight, he would love to do that fight and it'd be a big fight." When is Tyson Fury's next fight? Following the announcement of his return to the ring, British boxing sensation Fury revealed that his third bout with Usyk is set for 18 April 2026 at Wembley Stadium. The 36-year-old shared a fight poster featuring him and the Ukrainian on Instagram, captioning it: "April 18, 2026 Wembley Stadium. The trilogy! UK. contact @spencerbrownmrgoldstar for tickets." After going 24 rounds with the Ukrainian, the 'Gypsy King' remains adamant that he at least won the rematch back in December. 'My last fight was a clear f****** victory for The Gypsy King. Anybody in boxing can see that. A complete load of dogs ***," he said. 'I want a fair fight, I don't want any favours, I want a fair fight and a fair result. Which I know I didn't [get]. I thought I won it by five rounds. I watched it 250 times. Each way I never see it as a way for him to win. They can do what they want. If they say it's Tuesday it's Tuesday.'
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Conor Benn gives damning Chris Eubank Jr rematch verdict amid fight delay
Benn was due to face Eubank Jr in a rematch in September but the bout was delayed due to the latter requesting more time to prepare for the sequel Conor Benn is ready to step back into the ring, even if his next fight is not a rematch with long-time rival Chris Eubank Jr. The duo had a heated encounter in April after years of trading barbs online. Both fighters put on a 'Fight of the Year' performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London, with Eubank Jr going on to hand Benn his first professional defeat. It appeared likely that the pair would face off again immediately on September 20. However, Eubank Jr recently disclosed his preference for the rematch to occur in November. After the September clash was postponed, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn pointed the finger at Eubank Jr for withdrawing from the scheduled date. Despite being accused of backing out, Eubank Jr maintains he needs more time to train for the rematch, confirming his plans to Turki Alalshikh. Yet, Benn is not inclined to wait and is even prepared to progress his career as he aims to secure a world championship at 147lb, reports All Out Fighting. Speaking at BoxFest, when asked about his thoughts on Riyadh Season pulling out of the sequel, Benn responded: "Who's next? Get me that WBC world title. Get me any world title. Give me Rolly (Romero), give me Ryan Garcia, give me Devin Haney, give me Shakur Stevenson. "So I'll see. See you later Eubank, I want to get back down to 147lb and win those world titles. But most of all, give you guys (the fans) the fights that you guys want. That is what I want to do." He added: "I want to be active. I am willing to go again. Just give me the date. Let me go. Whoever it is. Genuinely, I do not care who it is. I am ready for any of them." It is fair to say the initial clash surpassed all predictions, with Benn himself taking pride in being part of boxing history in north London. "I loved every minute of it. For me, it was... it lived up to what we said we were going to do. For me, it was my moment to show 'if you want to go, we can have it,'" he said. The lead-up to the explosive encounter was overshadowed by drama. Eubank Jr shocked the boxing world when he smacked Benn across the face with an egg during their initial confrontation. He was subsequently hit with a £100,000 penalty for the Manchester incident. When questioned about the dramatics, Benn acknowledges his opponent rattled him and reveals he will never be mates with 'Next Gen'. "He got under my skin for sure. But I think he has that ability to get under anyone's skin," he said. "Did I like him before the fight? No. Did I like him after the fight? No. Do I like him now? No. And I probably never will. But, it takes two to tango, so I respect Chris for bringing that out of me." Benn was later asked if he believes his rematch with Eubank Jr will be the next fight, and the 'Destroyer' opened up about the difficulties in negotiating with Eubank Jr's team. "I was ready for September 20th," he disclosed. "I was back in the gym the Monday after the fight. So, we were both told it would be September 20th and it has been a miscommunication on their part as to why now it is not September 20th. If anyone can make the fight happen, if you guys want the fight, Turki Alalshikh will make it happen because he (Eubank Jr) and his team were difficult to deal with." When is Conor Benn's next fight? As previously mentioned, Benn was scheduled to face Eubank Jr for a second time in September. However, due to the delay, it remains uncertain whether the immediate rematch will occur despite agreeing to two fights at middleweight. Benn insists he does not want to wait for his rival and will move on from the clash to return to welterweight and aim for a world title. He stated: ''I'm not waiting. I'm not waiting around. I feel like my career has sort of been on hold to give the fans this fight, and I'm glad that the fight delivered, but now I've got to just tick the box off on my personal goals, which is winning a WBC world title. It's either [moving back down to] 147lbs for me or the rematch. I'm ready to honour my side of the agreement, which was a two-fight deal [at middleweight] and it's safe to say he's scared. He almost lost. It could have gone either way. To a welterweight."
