Oleksandr Usyk has made it clear he won’t take Tyson Fury‘s retirement at face value, dismissing the boxer’s latest exit as anything but final. Just months after scoring a second dominant win over Fury in December, Usyk insists the Brit is still in training and could return – a strong signal that a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua remains on his radar.
On January 13, 2025, Fury officially announced his retirement following back-to-back defeats to the Ukrainian southpaw.
It was Fury’s fifth retirement in a career marked by dramatic comebacks. Yet Usyk, speaking to The Stomping Ground, was unimpressed: “I think he’s not retired. I think Tyson continues training, continue boxing, because he’s a great man,” he said.
That statement carries extra weight given Fury‘s history of walk-outs. His exits in 2013, 2017, and 2022 were all followed by eventual returns – making his latest retirement announcement sound more like a pause. Usyk referenced this legacy of comebacks to reinforce his prediction that Fury may reemerge yet again.
A clear path to Joshua looms
Usyk’s dismissal of Fury‘s retirement isn’t just lip service – it’s strategic. With Fury allegedly set to sit it out, Usyk hinted at an even bigger showdown: a long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua. He is openly rooting for that fight to cap off his career.
Usyk currently heads into a July rematch against Daniel Dubois, but has already earmarked Joshua – and even Fury – as preferred opponents for a potential swan-song.
This showdown with Joshua would be a blockbuster – Usyk has twice defeated “AJ” (in 2021 and August 2022), both times defending or reclaiming his undisputed status
A trilogy rematch with Fury also remains on the table, should Fury re-enter the ring.
Behind the scenes, Saudi promoters like Turki Alalshikh are already plotting grand finales for the heavyweight division – including Fury vs. Joshua or Joshua vs. Usyk.
But Usyk‘s blunt assertion that Fury’s retirement won’t stand suggests he wants every large-scale option open – especially one that sees Joshua forced to rise or retire.
For now, Fury remains officially retired, and Joshua is rehabbing an elbow injury while negotiations continue. Usyk, however, is already thinking ahead.
Whether Fury stays away or returns once more, one thing is clear – the heavyweight landscape is shifting, and Usyk is eager to book his final act against the fighters who define his era.
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