Via Barry Holbrook: Tyson Fury will make a decision to retire based on the results of a July 23 rematch between unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, according to promoter Bob Arum.
WBC champ Fury is only interested in fighting the last man standing in a rematch Joshua vs. Usik 2.
No one else in the division is interested in 6’9″ Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs), as he’s already beaten famed former WBC champion Deontay Wilder twice and Dillian Whyte.
Fury effectively cleared the division, and the only ones left were Joshua & Usyk.
Fury’s bigger payday would be a fight with Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), but he’s up against that when it comes to facing Usyk again.
Last September, former undisputed cruiser champion Usyk sent Joshua to the school, going through 12 rounds for an easy unanimous decision.
“Fury will wait until Joshua’s fight against Usyk appears, and then he will decide if he wants to continue,” Bob Arum told Fighthype.
“Aside from fighting the winner of the Joshua vs Usyk fight, there’s really nothing of interest to Tyson Fury, so we’ll have to see,” Arum said.
It would be a shame if Fury decided not to fight Usyk if he was the victor when the smoke cleared from the rematch with AJ. The money obviously won’t go well for Fury fighting Usyk, but it will be a big change for ‘The Gypsy King’.
If nothing else, it will allow Fury to cement his legacy by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion before retiring. That will be essential to add to Fury’s legacy before heading out the door.
Fighting Joshua will be a great fight for Fury, as the money and attention he gets from this competition will be huge.
Fury is still at the peak of his career and will likely be a favorite to beat winner Joshua-Usyk II.
The way Fury toyed with dangerous puncher Whyte easily beat him in six rounds on April 23, chances are he’ll do the same against AJ or Usyk.
If Usyk wins the rematch against AJ, Fury can vacate and retire. In that case, the WBC belt would be contested by #1 Deontay Wilder and #2 Joe Joyce. It will be an interesting match to watch for fans, as long as Deontay accepts the match.
Arum would be disappointed to see Fury retire so soon because he made him a huge star in the United States. Given Fury’s size and skill, he has untapped potential to keep winning and making money for a long time to come.
