Tyson Fury back in the gym; comeback seemingly at hand

Tyson Fury has retired his retirement talk.

The former WBC heavyweight champion was shown sparring in a Friday reel posted under the headline “Chipping Away…” by South African heavyweight Kevin Lerena.

Fury, 37, has been out of the ring since his December 2024 loss by unanimous decision to three-belt champion Oleksandr Usyk. He announced his retirement January 13, 2025.

Yet, Fury has made comments on the sport and his division in the interim, looking fit last month when he posted a video with his family in a vehicle criticizing fellow former champion Anthony Joshua for saying he could “kill” last month’s opponent Jake Paul, whom Joshua knocked out in the sixth round.

Fury, 34-2-1 (24 KOs), is believed to be pointing himself toward a fight later this year against his U.K. countryman Joshua as the former two-time champion recovers from injuries suffered in last week’s cart crash in Nigeria that left two of Joshua’s friends/associates dead.

In the sparring footage, Fury displayed his patented impressive jab and feet shuffling, throwing some heavy power punches akin to the style he displayed in twice defeating former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Wilder is also back on the elite heavyweight scene, with Usyk saying he wants to fight the 2015-2020 heavyweight champion in a bout later this year in the U.S.

Fury’s return would allow the division’s four major combatants to be back active and effectively put a bow on the anticipated bouts among the four that fans have sought and debated.

It’s unclear if a Joshua-Fury showdown would be staged in the U.K. – as Wembley Stadium is ideally suited for the clash – or taken to Saudi Arabia by the sport’s top financier, Turki Alalshikh.

Friday’s footage from a gym in Thailand adorned with a “Gypsy King” banner represents a baby step toward what will be.