Promoter Bob Arum is apparently taking everything Tyson Fury tells the media lately with a grain of salt.
The head of Top Rank Inc. believes his star heavyweight charge will partake in some of the biggest fights that remain on the horizon of his career, despite Fury’s repeated claims that he is not looking to pursue boxing on the professional level any longer.
Fury, who turns 34 in August, declared his retirement after his sixth-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte in April at Wembley Stadium in London. Many industry observers, however, believe Fury will return to the ring at some point because there is too much money to be made.
Some of those fights include a crossover bout with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the winner of the upcoming heavyweight title unification match between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk in August in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this week Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) offered an “update” on his career, essentially rehashing what he had already told the public, that while he is effectively retired there may be a small window of hope in which he gloves up again.
Arum, for one, is confident that his charge will fight again, telling a group of videographers and reporters Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York City that he believes the Ngannou fight is a distinct possibility. However, the issue of Ngannou’s contractual status with the UFC would need to be determined first; Ngannous has been at loggerheads with UFC president Dana White.
“I would love to do that fight,” Arum said. “Depending on Ngannou’s contract, we would do it with or without the UFC. That would be a huge, huge event.
“Ngannous is the heavyweight champion of the UFC and Tyson Fury – I think it would be a huge, huge event.”
Asked about Fury’s recent claim that he would need a “half billion dollars” to be coaxed out of retirement, Arum responded with his usual penchant for witticism.
“He didn’t say dollars,” Arum cracked. “Maybe he was talking pesos.”
Arum noted that he hopes that Usyk will defeat Joshua so that it lines up an undisputed heavyweight title fight between the southpaw Ukrainian and Fury. Arum prefers Usyk as he counts him as a friend but also because he believes it would be easier to reach a deal. Arum has a close and long standing relationship with Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, who also handles one of Arum’s top clients, Ukrainian lightweight whiz Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“With a guy like Tyson you take it one step at a time,” Arum said. “I’m optimistic without discussing it with him, that sometime down the road he will fight the winner of Joshua-Usyk, which I hope it’s Usyk, and he’ll fight Ngannou, and maybe call it a day. I know he loves training and he loves being in the ring, so that’s a plus.”
