Tyson Fury Next Fight: Cement legacy against AJ or go for Usyk trilogy?

Tyson Fury lost to Oleksandr Usyk via unanimous decision on Saturday, December 21 of last year at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. The WBC, WBA and WBO titles were on the line in the gripping heavyweight rematch with Usyk coming out on top.

So what now for ‘The Gypsy King’? Who could we see the two-time heavyweight champion in the ring with next? Fury has hinted that his retirement may not stretch much further...

Fury announced his retirement from the ring as only he can, exclaiming that "Dick Turpin wore a mask" before vowing to walk away from the sport.

Fury’s defeat has been viewed as controversial in some quarters. The three identical scores of 116-112 in Usyk’s favour have been deemed too wide by many. I think you could certainly argue for a round more in Fury’s favour, but ultimately the right result was rendered.

Fury boxed well, perhaps even better than in their edge-of-your-seat first outing. He was certainly never hurt by the champion this time. But Usyk’s speed, slick defence and work in the pocket was ultimately too much for the Brit.

Where does Fury go from here? Despite incurring back-to-back losses there remains plenty of options for the 36-year-old. But will he fight on at all?

Retirement and Fury are familiar bedfellows of course. He initially walked away from the sport in the wake of his victory over Wladimir Klitschko for the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight championship. Mental health and substance abuse struggles saw the Mancunian spend two-and-a-half years on the shelf.

But the one thing 'The Gypsy King' never retires from is retirement. Upon Fury's return, he would leave the sport seemingly whenever negotiations reached an impasse for one of his favoured bouts. His solution to failing to get Joshua or Usyk in the ring would invariably be to temporarily leave boxing behind. The fact that these retirements never saw him vacating the WBC title he held at the time laid bare his intentions.

Now it looks like the scepticism over Fury's latest retirement was well-founded. The British icon has posted videos of himself in the gym with trainer Sugarhill Steward, while also firmly throwing his hat in the ring for a third fight with Usyk.

So let's look at Fury's first choice. This feels unlikely but there was talk of such a fight being built into the contract. Had Fury won, we would certainly have seen a third go-round. But with Usyk picking up double-wins, it is hard to see this fight being next-up for either man.

Fury is no stranger to trilogies in which one man didn’t win either of the two initial bouts. The ex-champion has beaten Derek Chisora three times, while his series with Deontay Wilder involved two Fury wins and a draw. However, I still don’t think the immediate three-match happens at this point.

The most bankable fight for Fury would be a long-awaited showdown with fellow Brit, Anthony Joshua. This fight has the feeling of Kell Brook’s win over Amir Khan. That 2022 bout was the culmination of a long courtship, with rumours flying around about a possible fight for years. The eventual bout was a great and lucrative occasion, but arrived when both were firmly past their prime.

I believe we are at that stage with Fury and AJ. While they are closer to their best than Brook and Khan, neither man is considered the finest heavyweight in the world any longer. Usyk put paid to that, while Dubois made sure Joshua’s path back to the top was blocked.

But a fight with each other would transcend the heavyweight title or pound-for-pound podium. It would be a meeting of the two most successful British heavyweights in a generation. Fury and Joshua have held every major heavyweight belt multiple times over. Between them they ushered out the Klitschko era and took heavyweight boxing into stadiums at home and abroad. 

You would need one hell of a venue to hold these two if the fight does happen. One hopes for Wembley but is resigned to the fact that Saudi Arabia might add the fight to their burgeoning portfolio. Wherever it takes place though, Fury vs Joshua would likely put a full stop on this incredible era of heavyweight boxing. 

Should AJ fail to come to terms with ‘The Gypsy King’, as has happened in multiple negotiations over the years, it is hard to see where Fury goes. IBF kingpin Dubois was an option, but he is facing Usyk. Joseph Parker is on an incredible run, but the risk-reward in that scenario does not favour Fury.

There isn’t too much else out there for 'The Gypsy King'. The field features either hot prospects who would present too much risk for every little reward, like Moses Itauma, or former foes who have seen better days, like Dillian Whyte. In these circumstances, should an Usyk return or an AJ blockbuster not be on the cards, you would have to say retirement probably is the most logical avenue.

Fury’s best move is Joshua. That is the fight that will make the most money, generate the most interest and also allow him to make a case for one last crack at the title. The two-time heavyweight king will also be crossing his fingers that Dubois pulls off a miracle against Usyk. A fight with 'Dynamite' is a bigger box office attraction than a needless Usyk three-quel.

Beyond those fights, it might be time to call it quits for Fury. He has enjoyed a truly wonderful career. 

Multiple world titles, big nights in the States, stadium headliners in the UK, breaking new ground in Saudi. ‘The Gypsy King’ ended the lengthy reigns of Wladimir Klitschko and Wilder, who sit second and ninth respectively on the all-time list of most world heavyweight title fight wins. Fury gave the world two enthralling fights with Usyk, too. Historic occasions that will never be forgotten.

What else is there? The answer is Anthony Joshua, of course. A win over the Watford man could be the achievement that punctuates Fury’s historic legacy.

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