Tyson Fury has insisted he has no intention of retiring from boxing any time soon after postponing his undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, 35, was due to face Usyk on February 17, but pulled out of the contest last week after suffering a severe cut in sparring.
His withdrawal led to some fans doubting whether Fury and Usyk would ever fight each other, especially with the Gypsy King nursing a concerning laceration on his right eyelid.
But the fight has now been rescheduled for May 18, and Fury posted a video on Instagram on Wednesday to assure fans that he will take on Usyk, before setting his sights on Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou.
‘I keep hearing talk of people saying that I should retire or I’m going to retire soon or whatever. I ain’t retiring anywhere,’ he said.
Tyson Fury has insisted he has no intention of retiring from boxing any time soon
Fury postponed his fight with Oleksandr Usyk last week after suffering a cut in sparring, but claims he still wants to face the Ukrainian twice
He has also said he wants to fight Anthony Joshua, after previously ruling out a clash with his fellow Brit
‘I’ve got two fights with Usyk for the undisputed twice, then I’m going to fight AJ at least once, maybe twice if there’s a rematch, if he wants one, after the first battering I give him.
‘And then I’m going to fight Ngannou again. And that’s just to start, so there’s five little fights for you to whet your appetite with. I ain’t going nowhere, nowhere.’
Fans have been eager to see an all-British showdown between Fury and Joshua for years, but it has failed to materialise.
Fury told Mail Sport in September that he had no interest in sharing the ring with his domestic rival as he told Joshua to ‘get to the back of the queue’.
However, both men have had contrasting fortunes since then, with Fury only scraping past former UFC champion Ngannou on points after being knocked down in October, while Joshua dispatched respected heavyweight contender Otto Wallin in five rounds two months later.
This has ramped up interest in Fury and Joshua finally settling their differences, with the latter appearing to be back to his best after previously delivering a number of below-par performances.
Joshua could finally get to face Fury after impressing against Otto Wallin last time out
Fury struggled in his last bout against Francis Ngannou, and has called for a rematch with the former UFC champion after he faces Usyk and Joshua
Fury’s latest statement indicates he is also keen on testing himself against Joshua, should he get past Usyk first.
His willingness to fight Ngannou again could also excite fans given how close their first bout was.
Few gave Ngannou a prayer of beating Fury in his first professional boxing match, but he nearly upset the odds as he sent the WBC champion to the canvas with a left hook in the third round and had several other moments of success.
Ngannou’s impressive display has earned him another huge fight, as he will face Joshua in Saudi Arabia on March 8, with both men aiming to move one step closer to a title shot and potentially a meeting with Fury.