Tyson Fury‘s return to the ring has become a reality in the past 24 hours.
‘The Gypsy King’ retired from the sport back in January following his two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. The first of those came in May of that year by split decision, before a unanimous decision loss seven months later in December.
Many fans have believed that Fury would eventually return to the ring, with a showdown against long-term domestic rival Anthony Joshua seen as the most likely option.
Fury seemed to dismiss that idea when speaking to media on Wednesday, claiming that the only fight that would tempt him to come out of retirement would be a trilogy contest against Usyk.
Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh then took to social media to reveal that Fury has given him his word that he will return to boxing next year, using the nickname ‘rabbit’ that Fury coined to suggest the Ukrainian will indeed be in the other corner.
“The ‘Gypsy King’ will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026 … We have a rabbit to hunt!”
Fury has now announced the date, venue and opponent for when he plans to stage his comeback, posting on social media that he will face Usyk on April 18 2026 at Wembley Stadium.
The timing of the announcement is a surprise, with the Ukrainian due to defend his WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles against IBF title-holder Daniel Dubois at Wembley in just over two weeks on July 19.
Provided Usyk is victorious, a clash against Fury may then be an option, but some boxing fans may not be excited about the prospect of a trilogy after the Ukrainian already won their first two meetings.
