Fury rules out return to face Joshua

TYSON FURY has conceded he can “never say never” about a boxing return, but rubbished the idea that he could be tempted back by the prospect of a domestic heavyweight super-fight against Anthony Joshua.

Fury announced his retirement after his knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April and emphatically dismissed rumours last week that talks had already begun to face the winner of Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury insists he is proud to have retired as an undefeated champion, and is now 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. You never know what the future holds.”

The 33-year-old has declared he has zero interest in a money-spinning clash with Joshua, even in what he considers to be the unlikely event that the former Olympic champion gains revenge for last year’s unanimous decision loss to the Ukrainian when they fight again.

“Anthony Joshua’s bubble has burst,” Fury said, reflecting on Joshua’s defeats to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk. “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.”