Tyson Fury backed to make surprise career change if he doesn’t make retirement U-turn for Anthony Joshua fight

Tyson Fury is retired from boxing for now but Duke McKenzie still believes he should remain in the sport in some capacity.

Tyson Fury decided to hang up his gloves releasing a video confirming his retirement, despite intense talk of finally setting his heavyweight rivalry with Anthony Joshua this year.

The ‘Gypsy King’ had suffered back-to-back defeats against the division’s leading operator Oleksandr Usyk, but his career still had potential of drawing some commercial blockbuster nights.

Although there is still optimism that Fury will step in the ring with Joshua, given Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh intends to hold talks to try and lure him back into the squared circle.

Fury also retired last in 2022 after beating Dillian Whyte, but life outside of the sport wasn’t for him, and he made a U-turn and was lured back into some big fights.

He is now 36-years-old and despite being at the twilight end of his career, is still an extremely gifted technical fighter.

And ex-world champion McKenzie believes he should return, but if he chooses not to, should try his hand at promoting fighters on the other side of the fence.

He told talkSPORT.com: “100 per cent, it probably will happen [lured out of retirement for Joshua fight].

“He’s said the same thing several times, and then something comes in his mind a few months on when he gets bored.

“I don’t think he has the mentality for that. I think his forte would be staying in the sport, but maybe as a promoter or a manager.

“I think he’d be great at that if he chooses not to come back, he will always be involved in boxing.

“But I just think he still has another fight in him.”

Fury and Joshua still promises to be one of the biggest fights in boxing, despite no world titles likely to be on the line.

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Joshua is too looking to bounce back after being on the receiving end of a brutal stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September.

But despite their current predicaments, the pair could earn huge paydays for agreeing to a showdown, particularly if it is a two-fight deal.

Reports surprisingly indicated that the fight could be worth £500 million, but they were dismissed by Saudi kingpin Alalshikh.

Although McKenzie still believes it would be a mistake for Fury to leave the lucrative opportunities behind.

He added: “Yeah whatever they offer him whether it is £100 million or £200 million, take it.

“I still believe he will come out of retirement, make no mistake about that.”

His promoter Frank Warren is satisfied with his decision, and doesn’t plan to contact him and attempt to reverse his plan.

“I Want To Knock Him Out” Heavyweight Vows To Retire Anthony Joshua In Trilogy Fight: “I Want To Knock Him Out”

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte is targeting a ‘trilogy’ fight with Anthony Joshua as he vows to retire his bitter rival.

The heavyweight duo first clashed on the amateur circuit 16-years ago, as ‘The Bodysnatcher’ claimed a points victory over a novice Joshua who hadn’t long had his first contest when the pair met

Their bitter feud was reignited in December 2015 when ‘AJ’ captured the vacant British heavyweight title with an explosive 7th-round knockout victory over Whyte, who had rocked Joshua in the second round before eventually suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

Their highly anticipated rematch was due to happen in August 2023, but was cancelled after Whyte returned an adverse finding in a doping test. Finnish heavyweight Robert Helenius stepped in and was knocked out in seven rounds. Whyte was later cleared to box after an investigation found it was a contaminated supplement that caused the findings.

Joshua is expected to return to the ring for the first time since suffering a shock knockout defeat to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois last September, with Whyte putting himself forward to face his rival as he vows to finally send him into retirement.

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Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, ‘The Bodysnatcher’ welcomed the idea of facing the 35-year-old for the third time, but claimed he is ‘finished’ after that defeat to Dubois.

“If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me. I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished. I think he made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois. It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity to avenge his knockout loss.”

“Me and him will always be a good fight. We just have that chemistry. I don’t want to lose to him, he doesn’t want to lose to me, and we want to prove each other wrong. We want to knock each other out so it will always be a good fight.

“Eddie [Hearn] has publicly stated Joshua could fight me next, but whether he will or not I don’t know whether he or his people want it, then we wait to see. I would love to retire him.”

Whyte returned to the ring in December when he knocked out Ebenezer Tetteh in Gibraltar. The 36-year-old is keen on returning to the ring as soon as possible, with a fight date and opponent expected to be announced in due course.