Former world champion George Groves believes Tyson Fury will come out of retirement to face Anthony Joshua in a blockbuster heavyweight clash, The PUNCH reports.

Fury announced his retirement on Monday following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, but Groves suspects it’s a negotiation tactic rather than a final decision.

“I reckon it’s a negotiation tactic, maybe it’s a mind game thing with Anthony Joshua,” Groves told SunSport.

“I mean there probably is a significant part of him that thinks, ‘Oh I want to retire.’ And he might be speaking it into existence. But I don’t think he wants to retire.”

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn shares similar sentiments, suggesting Fury’s retirement announcement is strategic.

“If you ever want to come back and get the max, you have to retire first, haven’t you? Someone then has to bring you out of retirement,” Hearn told iFL TV.

“I think he’ll want to fight again, I think he will get bored and he will know the British public want to see the AJ fight.”

Joshua, who recently visited Nigeria and met with President Bola Tinubu, has expressed his desire for the all-British showdown in 2025.

“Ups and downs happen, but I can’t stop now. My goal is to become a three-time world champion and face Tyson Fury in 2025,” Joshua told reporters in Lagos.

This marks Fury’s third retirement announcement, having previously stepped away from the sport in 2018 then later in 2022 before returning to defeat Derek Chisora.

The ‘Gypsy King’ retires with an impressive record of 34 victories and two defeats, both coming against Usyk, while never suffering a knockout loss throughout his career.

Groves, who retired in 2018 as super-middleweight world champion, even predicted that the two British heavyweights could become friends after eventually settling their differences in the ring.

“I bet you, if they do box they’ll be cuddling each other after,” the former champion added.

The Ukrainian heavyweight has, after all, shared the ring with both men.

Fury put an end to Klitschko’s reign of dominance over the heavyweight division by snatching his WBA, IBF and WBO titles away from him in 2015 via unanimous decision following a remarkable 22-fight winning streak that lasted for 11 years.

Klitschko went on to activate the rematch clause in his contract but their second fight was cancelled as Fury’s mental health spiralled out of control.

While Fury took some time away from the sport, Joshua put the final nail in Klitschko’s coffin two years later by knocking him out in the 11th round of a barnburning bout.

Both Brits have gone on to become the two biggest names in the heavyweight division but as of yet their paths are yet to cross between the ropes.

However, that looks set to change this year with both men seemingly on a collision course to face each other after suffering back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

Klitscko’s opinion may have changed since he was last asked who he thought would win the all-British showdown.

But back in 2018, his stance was clear – even if his wording was a bit odd.

“Hands down Joshua,” he told Sky Sports. “He is getting to be the complete fighter.

“Technically, size-wise, weight-wise, power-wise. And he is a good learner.

“The other guy [Fury], like a fart in the wind, is there, and it is gone.

“In the history of boxing, there are a lot of examples of this kind of guy.

“They can be successful for a time but are not disciplined enough to continue to be successful.

“I wish Tyson well, but I think there is a lack of discipline there, and discipline is more important than motivation.

“Drawing from my experience, I would say it is going to be very difficult for Tyson because there’s that lack of discipline.”

Of course, these comments came during Fury’s first retirement from the sport when he was drinking and abusing drugs.

But that’s not to say his commitment to the sport hasn’t been questioned over the years.

His lack of discipline nearly cost him an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Francis Ngannou in 2023 when he came in at a career-heaviest weight and then barely scraped by the boxing novice.

However, he would undoubtedly pay more respect to Joshua.

Especially given the extortionate amount of money that will be on the line if the fight ever gets past the negotiation table.