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Tyson Fury’s boxing opponents should consider making a comeback

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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.

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Did Marcos Maidana derail Adrien Broner’s career path?

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Image: Did Marcos Maidana Derail Adrien Broner's Career Path?

With a record of (27-0, 22 KO), Adrien Broner seemed to be on his way to becoming a heavyweight star. Unfortunately for Broner, what happened on the night of December 14, 2013 seemed to change the path of his boxing journey.

Adrien Broner, also known as AB, from Cincinnati, Ohio, made his professional boxing debut in May 2008, defeating Allante Davis in the first round. Broner won his next twenty fights.

Broner won his first world title in November 2011, defeating Vicente Rodriguez in the third round to capture the vacant WBO super featherweight belt. Unfortunately, before the second defense, he was stripped due to the fact that he had not gained weight.

AB began to boost weight and defeated Antonio Demarco via TKO in the 8th round. With the victory, Broner won the WBC lightweight title and became a two-weight world champion.
Nine months later, in June 2013, Adrien Broner tried to win the third division championship. The fight was close, but Broner managed to overtake Pauli Malignaggi and win the WBA welterweight title.

At the age of 23, Adrien Broner was well on his way to becoming a superstar. But six months after the Malignaggi fight, Broner entered the ring for the 28th time, and when he emerged, he was a different man.

While preparing for his fight with Marcos Maidana, Adrien Broner talked trash and did his usual comedic antics. Broner was extremely confident, entering the fight as a 5-to-1 betting favorite.

As soon as the bell sounded for the opening round, Maidana rocked Broner as he landed a substantial left hook. Maidana continued to pepper Broner with a barrage of punches throughout the first round.

At 2:40 of round 2, Maidana landed a substantial left hook that sent Broner to the canvas. Broner managed to get up, but Maidana continued his aggressive attack.

From rounds 3 to 7, Maidana dictated the pace of the fight. With 1:29 remaining in the eighth round, Maidana defeated Broner for the second time when he landed another powerful left hook.

For the remainder of the fight, Maidana continued to overwhelm Broner with his work rate. At the end of the 12-round world title contest, Marcos Maidana won by unanimous decision.

After Maidana’s championship fight, Broner was no longer the same fighter. The loss changed Broner’s fighting style as he became more indecisive. Broner began dropping weight and rebounded, winning three fights in a row.

Broner next faced Shawn Porter in a 144-pound catchweight bout. Once again, in an crucial fight, Broner was not on the scorecards.

Broner decided to drop down to 140 pounds, defeating Khabib Allakhverdiev to win the vacant WBA super lightweight title. AB won two additional fights and then lost another major fight against Mikey Garcia.

AB’s last fight with an elite fighter was in January 2019, when he was overtaken by Manny Pacquiao. Five years later, Broner made his final ring appearance, but it didn’t go well as Blair Cobbs defeated him by unanimous decision.

Adrien Broner (35-5-1, 24 KO) is a four-division world champion, but the fight with Marcos Maidana changed his career to such an extent that if that fight had never happened, AB might have been even more legendary.

Before the Maidana fight, AB was a talented pressure fighter who threw combinations. After the Maidana fight, Broner became a passive boxer who seemed cautious and reluctant to throw punches because he was worried about being countered.

Currently, Adrien Broner is finding success in the streaming world by teaming up with Misfits boxer Deen the Great. 36-year-old Adrien Broner’s boxing career is currently on ice, but there are rumors of a possible return to the ring to face Chris Eubank Jr.

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Gervonta Davis is in negotiations with her undefeated rival after 16 months of inactivity

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Gervonta Davis now in negotiations with undefeated rival after 16 months of inactivity

After an extended break, Gervonta Davis is currently in negotiations to defend her world title against an undefeated rising star.

“Tank” has not competed since March 2024, when was forced to controversially draw a majority in defense of the WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr.

A planned main event against Jake Paul last November was canceled due to Davis’ external issues, which led to the WBA awarding him the title on hiatus.

Earlier this year, it was reported that “Tank” was in talks for a showdown with former rival Isaac Cruz, but when the Mexican left, fans began to wonder if they would actually see the 31-year-old champion from Baltimore back in the ring.

However, any fears may soon be put to rest Boxing scene reported that Davis is in negotiations to fight Floyd Schofield. The WBA ordered a fight between the duo and gave them until June 22 to reach a deal before financial offers were announced.

The report states that officials close to the negotiations plan for the fight to take place in mid-September or early October.

Schofield is undefeated for 19 years and ranks first in the WBA rankings. He was previously scheduled to fight for a world title against Shakur Stevenson in February 2025 before he was forced to withdraw from the fight during fight week due to illness.

He has since claimed he beat Tevin Farmer by knockout, and his father and trainer, Floyd Sr., has insisted they want to fight Davis next and are extremely confident of winning.

The fight could hinge on Davis’ legal issues, as he was recently wanted by Maryland State Police after allegedly violating probation stemming from domestic violence allegations that resulted in the cancellation of his exhibition with Paul.

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Raymond Muratalla will defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceição on August 1

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Image: Raymond Muratalla To Defend IBF Lightweight Title Against Robson Conceição On August 1

“After my last fight, the boxing world really knew who I was,” Muratalla said. “People saw me as an underdog even though I was the champion and I showed that I couldn’t be underestimated.

“Now I’m defending my title against another Olympic gold medalist and I plan to look even better. I’m focused, ready and I’ll take care of things on August 1.”

Conceição is looking to regain his world champion status after previously holding the WBC junior lightweight championship.

“They said it was impossible when I dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal,” Conceição said. “They said that when I fought for my first world title, I achieved both and it’s no different now.

“I have great respect for Raymond Muratalla, but I am ready for this challenge. I want to prove that determination, experience and the heart of a champion are able to overcome any obstacle.

“On August 1, I will fight for myself, my family and all of Brazil.”

Muratalla enters the fight undefeated with a record of 24-0 and 17 knockouts. The California native was elevated to full IBF champion following the retirement of Vasily Lomachenko, and most recently defended his title following a decision victory over Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz in February.

Conceição (21-3-1, 10 knockouts) became the first Brazilian Olympic boxing gold medalist at the 2016 Games. The 37-year-old won the WBC junior lightweight title by defeating O’Shaquie Foster in July 2024 before losing the belt in a rematch later that year.

Top president Todd duBoef believes the fight will be a forceful addition to the August installment of “The Fight” series.

“Raymond Muratalla has established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world. His recent decisive victory over Andy Cruz reinforced his elite status in boxing,” said duBoef.

“The upcoming defense against Olympic gold medalist and former world champion Robson Conceição will keep fans entertained from the first bell.”

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