We’ve been here a few times with Tyson Fury, but it looks like the entertaining former heavyweight champion will be retiring once again and could return to the ring in 2026.

“He’s made it clear he wants to fight next year,” promoter Frank Warren said on his Queensberry Promotions YouTube channel on October 9.

Fury (34-2-1, 24 KO) has not boxed since his second decision defeat to undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in December, after which he announced (not for the first time) that he was hanging up the gloves.

If 37-year-old Fury returns, who will be his next opponent? Will he immediately enter into a demanding fight? Will he finally face Anthony Joshua or will he want to serene down and choose an easier task?

ESPN takes a look at five contenders for the return of the “Gypsy King.”

The one that should have happened: Anthony Joshua

It may not be as large an event as it used to be when they shared all the world heavyweight titles between them, but there is still a lot of demand for a Fury vs. Joshua, especially in the UK

The English rivals first seriously talked to each other five years ago, but subsequent attempts to make this fight did not result in one of the biggest fights available in boxing.

With both now approaching the age of 40 and nearing the end of their careers, they realize that time is running out to make a fortune in the ring together, whether a title is on the line or not.

“[Fury’s] was one of the most amazing retirements I have ever seen. We never knew this would happen, did we?” Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who has managed Joshua’s career since his professional debut in 2013, recently told ESPN.

“I know that if the deal is good, he will fight Anthony Joshua. His last fight was in December, so he will soon be out of the ring for a year. I know that Fury’s entire team is talking to Turki Alalshikh [chairman of the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority]and I saw an interview with Frank Warren where he said he talked to Tyson Fury and he’s coming back.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KO), a two-time world heavyweight champion, has not fought since he was knocked out in the 5th round by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. Elbow surgery has delayed the resumption of 36-year-old Joshua’s career, but he is expected to box again later this year or early 2026. Hearn told ESPN that Joshua would have an interim fight ahead of a potential fight with Fury.

“The obvious one is Joshua because everyone wanted to see that fight and [still] I want to see this fight. That’s obvious,” Warren said. “Put simply, it’s about money.”

Recently, Warren and Hearn were separately in talks to develop a Joshua vs. Fury film starring Alalshikh, currently the most powerful figure in world boxing.

“I think Turki Alalshikh is probably the only one who can fight Tyson Fury because they will both want a huge amount of money and Turki has a reputation for putting on the biggest fights in the sport,” Hearn said.

“And the biggest fight in the sport is Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury, without a doubt.”

The question is whether Fury feels he’s ready to go right into the fight against Joshua next, or whether to fight an interim fight that could potentially delay the Fury vs. Joshua until the second half of 2026.

The one that could happen: Martin Bakole or Fabio Wardley

After more than a year out of the ring, Fury may decide he wants a warm-up fight. An opponent that poses less of a threat but still has a large enough name to be a credible opponent is Bakole.

Bakole, 33, is looking for a large fight and has fought Fury before. Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KO) was clinically knocked down in two rounds by Joseph Parker in February, although he entered the field as a overdue replacement opponent. Bakole then drew with Efe Ajagba in May and was most recently linked to fighting Joshua in Nigeria.

If Bakole ends up fighting Joshua, Fury could easily face Fabio Wardley. Both are promoted by Queensberry Promotions, and Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KO) is outside the elite group whose lack of experience could be exploited by Fury’s clever boxing.

Wardley, however, is unsafe, as he showed when he lost the fight in June by knocking out previously undefeated Justis Huni. Wardley will face Parker on October 25.

The one we don’t want to see: Oleksandr Usyk

Fury feels a deep sense of injustice regarding the outcome of his rematch with Usyk – a feeling not widely shared by the media.

The 38-year-old Usyk is 2-0 over Fury and continued his imperious form with a masterful Round 5 KO victory over Dubois in July. It’s difficult to argue that Fury has blown the odds in his third fight against the undisputed heavyweight champion, but with Joshua together, this could be the fight Fury wants.

Usyk said his retirement day is approaching and he may be tempted by a big-money trilogy fight before he retires from boxing. But Fury can make more money from Joshua and has a better chance of beating him, so it’s unlikely that Usyk’s trilogy fight will be next.

Most Perilous: Moses Itauma

Fury is fully aware of how unsafe Itauma is after the 20-year-old suffered an eighth first-round victim in his last fight.

“Moses Itauma will eliminate all the vintage guys in the division,” Fury said on social media in August after Itauma crushed Dillian Whyte in the first round, who fought six rounds with Fury in April 2022 for the WBC title.

“Usyk, [Joshua], [Jarrell] Miller. Whoever is there is vintage. [Zhilei] Zhang, whoever the hell else is out there, Luis Ortiz. All these great names from the past. Even the man who took my belts, Usyk, Moses will destroy him, because it’s a youthful man versus an vintage man. And an vintage man can’t mess with a youthful man.”

There are rumors that Itauma (13-0, 11 KO) will fight on December 13, but it will not be against Fury.

The one he won’t accept: Joseph Parker

Parker, a former WBO champion, is in an excellent position to claim the world title in 2026, provided he avoids defeat to Wardley on October 25.

Parker (36-3, 24 KO) holds the WBO interim title and if he defeats Wardley, he will be first in line to fight Usyk in 2026, which may be Usyk’s last fight before retirement.

You would think, given Parker’s status, that he would be the perfect opponent for Fury to pick up the slack. But Fury and Parker are good friends, and Parker even trains at Fury’s gym in Morecambe, England, and they have the same trainer in Andy Lee.

This is the only fight that couldn’t take place.