Fury hasn’t been in a ring since December 2024, when he lost the rematch to Oleksandr Usyk. At 37, a layoff that long is a physical gamble for him to be coming back.
By talking about Joshua, he’s trying to convince the world and maybe himself that the Usyk losses were a fluke and his King status is still intact.
Fury has been dropped 8 times in his career. His legs looked heavy in the second Usyk fight, and his reliance on the clinch, his favorite survival tactic, might not work against a man with Makhmudov’s raw physical strength.
“It’s been a massive rivalry for over 10 years. The British public is still baying for it. They still want it desperately,” Fury said to the InsideRingShow.
“Even if we had a 200,000-seat stadium, we’d sell out 10 times. That’s how big it is over here. I do think I could beat him at any time, whether he was 25, 35, or 95.”
Fury is no longer selling his fight against Joshua as a peak athletic competition, but as a historical rivalry that exists outside of time.
Tyson’s claim that age isn’t important is a clever way to bypass the fact that both he and Joshua are in the twilight of their careers. By saying he’d win at any age, he is arguing that his boxing IQ and natural size are permanent advantages that Joshua’s athleticism can’t overcome.
“If everything goes well in this fight on Saturday night, then that’s the fight we’re looking to make next,” Fury said.
Fury, using the word “if” regarding Saturday night, is the most honest he has been in years. Arslanbek Makhmudov is a dangerous choice for a comeback for a few reasons: Makhmudov is a massive, heavy-handed puncher with 19 KOs. Fury’s chin has been tested repeatedly, and at 37, recovery time in the ring slows down.
Fury hasn’t fought since December 2024. Coming back against a wrecking ball-style fighter like Makhmudov after a long break is a massive gamble.
If Tyson loses, the Joshua fight, the 200,000-seat sellout he’s dreaming of effectively goes away. It would turn their fight into a battle of the former kings.
“There’s always going to be, even if we’re 60-years-old, I think it’s still a massive fight in the UK,” Fury said.
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