Fury: I don’t need AJ, but he needs me
TYSON Fury has conceded he can ‘never say never’ about a return, but rubbished the idea he could be tempted back for a super-bout against Anthony Joshua.
The Manchester fighter announced his retirement after his knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April and dismissed rumours last week that talks had begun for him to face the winner of Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury said he was proud to retire as an undefeated champion, and was shifting his focus to exhibition bouts and a global speaking tour which will kick off with a series of British dates this month.
Fury said: “There’s always going to be that clamour - even when Joshua and Usyk are finished and there’s new contenders and champions, they will always ask Tyson Fury to come back as undefeated champion and fight these people.
“But rumours are rumours. Until I say that I’m actually doing a fight, take me at my word. For now I’m done with professional boxing and I’ve moved on to other things, but you can never say never.”
The 33-year-old has declared he has zero interest in a moneyspinning clash with Joshua, even in what he considers to be the unlikely event the former Olympic champion gains revenge for last year’s unanimous decision loss to the Ukrainian.
“Anthony Joshua’s bubble has burst,” Fury said. “He’s been bounced off the canvas by a little fat fella, then he’s been comprehensively outboxed and battered by a middleweight who nobody had heard of until he beat AJ.
“I don’t see what the big clamour is. If he’d been undefeated like (Deontay) Wilder, and everyone thought he could batter me, then it’s challenging. Joshua might need me but I don’t need him, nor what he can bring.
“The only thing these fighters come back for is the money.
“The money is not tempting to me. I live in Morecambe and shop in Asda, and if I had a trillion dollars I couldn’t live any differently to the way I live now.
“There’s nothing I want or need from a comeback. I’ve won every belt in boxing, every award there is to win.
“There is nothing at this present moment that would tempt me back.”