Former world champion Duke McKenzie has urged British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to consider returning to boxing.
Fury recently announced his retirement through a video, shutting down speculation about a potential clash with Anthony Joshua this year. The heavyweight division had been abuzz with talk of Fury finally settling his rivalry with Joshua, a fight fans have long awaited.
Fury’s decision comes after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, considered the division’s top operator. Despite those setbacks, Fury’s career still held the potential for blockbuster events, drawing massive commercial interest.
Optimism remains that Fury could be lured back into the ring, with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh reportedly interested in holding talks to facilitate a return. Fury previously retired in 2022 after defeating Dillian Whyte, only to make a comeback, suggesting that retirement may not be permanent.
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At 36 years old, Fury remains one of the most technically gifted fighters in the sport. McKenzie, however, believes that if Fury chooses not to fight again, he could thrive on the promotional side of boxing.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, McKenzie said, “One hundred per cent, it probably will happen [a Fury return for a Joshua fight]. He’s said the same thing several times, and then something comes to his mind when he gets bored, and he says, ‘I have to do the only thing I can do,’ and that is boxing.
“I don’t see him as a TV analyst. I don’t think he has the mentality for that. His forte would be staying in the sport, maybe as a promoter or a manager. He’d be great at that if he chooses not to come back. But I just think he still has another fight in him.”
A potential Fury-Joshua bout remains one of boxing’s biggest attractions, even without world titles at stake. Joshua, too, is looking to recover after a brutal stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September.
Despite their current predicaments, a Fury-Joshua fight could generate enormous paydays, especially with the possibility of a two-fight deal. While reports of the fight being worth £500 million were dismissed by Saudi boxing figurehead Alalshikh, McKenzie insists Fury shouldn’t leave lucrative opportunities on the table.
“Yeah, whatever they offer him, whether it’s £100 million or £200 million, take it,” McKenzie added. “I still believe he will come out of retirement, make no mistake about that.”