Tyson Fury is “no longer in his prime” as a boxer, his father has unbelievably claimed, admitting their relationship is “damaged.”

Fury is to come out of retirement and will fight Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, he will do so after his father, John Fury, stated that his skills were failing.

“I think his best days are behind him,” John said Daily mail. “I’m a guy with no filter – I say it like I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren’t true, building him up like he’s invincible. He’s not and hasn’t been for a while.”

“Tyson has been gone since the Deontay Wilder fights, they finished him off.”

John also revealed: “My relationship with Tyson has been destroyed.”

Fury defeated Wilder twice in his epic trilogy, but lost his undefeated record and WBC belt to Oleksandr Usyk. He also failed in the rematch with Usyk, which preceded his last long absence from the ring.

His father insists he told Fury not to fight Usyk first.

“I begged him and prayed with him before the first fight,” John said.

“He’s already done a full training camp, and he got injured last week. He was exhausted from that camp. You can’t just rest for three weeks and then go straight into another seven weeks – that’s what happened.”

“I said take two weeks, His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority] he was going to fine us 10 million pounds ($13 million) for pulling out of the fight, but I said take it. Give yourself four months, get a good rest, and then we’ll go again. But no, after the fight, what does he do? He immediately returns to another seven- or eight-week camp, already as faint as anything else.

“I thought if we didn’t get this job done quickly, he would weaken over time.”

A few days before his son’s first fight with Usyk, John Fury had blood streaming down his face after headbutting a member of the Ukrainian’s entourage.

Fury’s father has been extremely critical of Sugarhill Steward, the former champion’s latest trainer.

“I felt like strangling Sugar after that,” John said.

“He’s not Emanuel Steward. He’s nothing like him. He’s just a gym sweeper, that’s all he ever was.”

Fury’s father attended a press conference alongside Makhmudov to promote their fight. He engaged in a war of words with former super middleweight world champion Carl Froch, even challenging him to fight on his son’s card.

Tyson Fury claimed he would return to the ring against Makhmudov without a trainer in his corner, although this has not been confirmed.

He trained in Thailand to face the huge Russian.

Fury, now 37, may be hoping for a third fight with Usyk after the heavyweight champion put him on a three-fight opponent list before he finishes.

This statement goes against the way players usually speak at this point in their careers. Thurman (30-1, 22 KO) has had long breaks, injuries and only one fight since 2019. A safer option would be to manage your risks, choose your spots carefully, and stretch for as long as you have time left. It describes the opposite.

Thurman, 37, chooses to take a tough fight against a younger, busy opponent in Fundora, and he does so without the usual language of rebuilding or returning to form. The message is elementary. He’s not trying to keep the record or protect his position.

He linked this attitude to how he always viewed himself in the ring. Thurman recalled an early fight in which he went down in the opening seconds, got back up and stopped his opponent within three rounds. This, in his opinion, set the tone for everything that followed.

“If it’s not over, it’s not over,” Thurman said.

The same idea is present in this fight. He treats this as a real test and does not make it basic for himself to return to the fight. That doesn’t guarantee anything against a fighter like Fundora, who brings size, activity and a different set of issues than Thurman has struggled with in recent years. This shows Thurman entering the fray.

Even at this stage he is risking all over again what he has built. This approach makes the fight easier to understand. Thurman will return to find out if he still belongs at this level, almost a decade after he was last there, fighting regularly and taking risks.

Floyd Mayweather’s return to fight Manny Pacquiao at the age of 49 is already considered a turning point in the streaming era, but its outcome will shape the direction of boxing’s biggest events.

If the rematch lives up to its promise, Mayweather will once again hold the keys to boxing’s biggest events, with multiple directions available depending on whether the focus is on legacy, business or unfinished business.

WBN looks at what might be in store for Mayweather if his return to pro is successful on September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Manny Pacquiao trilogy

The most obvious option is also the simplest. If the sequel delivers the desired results, it will be arduous to avoid a third fight.

The original 2015 fight broke records but left many wanting, so a stronger second leg – supported by a global audience – would make the trilogy a logical sequel and the easiest fight to make.

Rematch with Canelo Alvarez

The second fight with Canelo Alvarez remains one of boxing’s lingering “what if” scenarios.

Canelo’s career may be entering its final stages, but the desire for revenge has never gone away.

The obstacle is finding a workable weight agreement given both fighters’ physical evolution.

If Mayweather looks good against Pacquiao, there’s a possibility it could be one of the biggest events available in the sport.

Terence Crawford Challenge

Terence Crawford represents the closest state-of-the-art analogy to Mayweather’s dominance. An undefeated record and continued success across divisions make this a legacy fight.

A game between 42-0 and 51-0 is hugely critical, but it’s also the riskiest option on the table.

At age 49, the clash with Crawford will be a test of whether Mayweather’s defensive control can still neutralize an elite new-era opponent.

Jake Paul’s business struggle

The fight with Jake Paul sells itself. Their previous confrontation outside the ring has already generated interest, and Paul’s attitude ensures attention regardless of the outcome.

Regardless of the level Mayweather shows against Pacquiao, the fight remains profitable.

It’s a high-revenue, low-barrier fight, especially in a market where crossover fights often outperform conventional fights.

Conor McGregor’s rematch

The numbers alone keep Conor McGregor in the conversation. Their first meeting was one of the best-selling events in boxing history, following the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.

The level of demand still matters.

In today’s streaming-driven environment, the rematch could easily be classified as a global spectacle with the potential to deliver another massive financial return.

Stakes of the streaming era

As previously reported by World Boxing News, the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao rematch is set to redefine boxing’s audience scale in the streaming era.

The move from pay-per-view to a global subscription platform changes the way success is measured. If an event meets expectations, it strengthens the case for each option being considered.

Whether it leads to a trilogy, a long-awaited rematch, or a crossover event, Mayweather’s next move will depend on how far this current model can extend the biggest nights in sports.

Calculated final chapter

Mayweather won’t come back to rebuild anything. His legacy is now protected. All that remains is the ability to add to it in a controlled way.

Each option carries a different balance of risk and reward, but they all have one factor in common: scale. At the age of 49, every decision carries more weight.

If the rematch with Pacquiao ends as expected, Mayweather will not only be back – he will once again control the direction of sports’ biggest nights.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.