‘Ferocious Fury’ set to return
Tyson Fury has announced his return to boxing and vowed to reclaim his world titles from Anthony Joshua.
The former world champion is to fight an unnamed opponent in Manchester on June 9, his first bout in more than 21⁄ years.
Fury also reiterated that fellow Brit Joshua must step in the ring and beat him if he’s to be considered the best heavyweight fighter of the current era.
Joshua beat Kiwi Joseph Parker in their unification fight in Cardiff last month to add the WBO world heavyweight belt to his WBA and IBF titles.
Fury, having decided to focus on recovery after testing positive for cocaine, voluntarily vacated the WBO and WBA belts in 2016 after withdrawing from a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.
The British Boxing Board of Control suspended Fury in 2016, amid a separate UK Anti-Doping investigation.
The UKAD case ended in December when Fury accepted a backdated two-year doping ban for elevated levels of nandrolone in urine samples
‘‘All the boys – [Joshua], [Deontay] Wilder, Parker, Baby Miller, Dominic Breazeale, all the good guys in the division, Dillian Whyte, everybody else – you’re all on notice. ‘The Mack’ is back and more ferocious than ever,’’ Fury said.
Joshua and WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder are in discussions for a blockbuster bout. Should a deal be struck, the winner would become the first man to hold all four major heavyweight titles at the same time.