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Tony Bellew believes a Wembley showdown involving Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will definitely happen at some point before the Gypsy King hangs up his gloves.

Fury is yet to confirm his next move after losing on points to Oleksandr Usyk in their highly-anticipated rematch. The man from Morecambe was unable to gain revenge following his previous defeat in their original fight back in May.

In the days since the rematch, it has been suggested that Fury could decide to walk away from boxing. He briefly retired in 2022 but many are now wondering whether he could hang up the gloves for good in the wake of back-to-back losses.

Anthony Joshua reveals fight with Tyson Fury is 'in the pipeline,' says the  British heavyweight showdown will happen 'soon'

JUST IN: Why Daniel Dubois deserves a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk

Speaking to Express Sport before the fight, Bellew admitted that he would be surprised if Fury retires without ever facing Joshua.

“I don’t think that ship will ever sail,” he said. “You’re telling me you couldn’t stick 100,000 in Wembley to watch those two fight? I think you’d get 50,000 just at the press conference. It’s coming, it is on. It’s on the charts and it’s on the board.

“Everyone wants to see it. The sad part is that it will be when both are just slightly past their sell-by date, by the looks of it. It looks like it’s going to be [Floyd] Mayweather and [Manny] Pacquiao all over again. It’s been held back and held back.

“You have to remember, the only person who has signed up to these fights and hasn’t pulled out is Anthony Joshua. He signed to fight Fury, he signed to fight [Deontay] Wilder, he’s fought Usyk twice, he’s fought [Wladimir] Klitschko.

“All these people, he signed to fight and they pulled out on him. He signed to fight Tyson Fury and Fury had to pull out because of the arbitration from Wilder. He signed to fight Wilder and Wilder pulled out because of the mess he was in with Fury.

“It is what it is. It’s a mess, really, but 100 per cent that fight will happen one day. It’s huge. It’s a massive blockbuster event and it will probably go down as the biggest domestic boxing match ever.”

A long-awaited showdown between Fury and Joshua has been discussed for many years without ever coming to fruition. A deal to host the fight in Saudi Arabia was close to being agreed in 2021, but talks ultimately fell through.

Only time will tell if Bellew’s prediction comes true despite both fighters coming off the back of defeats and holding no belts between them.

Bellew was speaking to Express Sport as an ambassador for the Men on a Mission campaign, in conjunction with DRINKiQ and Men’s Sheds, raising awareness for mental health and unhealthy drinking patterns in men aged over 50.

“We know the stats tell us that one in four men aged between 50 and 75 hardly ever think about their mental wellbeing and mental health,” he explained.

“You don’t really speak about it. It’s like a taboo subject. They don’t really want to speak about it, they don’t feel the need to. They actually think it’s weak. Those are the guys who are turning to drink.

“Before you know it, it catches up with you and it piles on and something has to be done about that. We need to be out there speaking to men of this age and letting them know there are other things to do because it’s so, so difficult.”

Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury will take a rest before considering whether to face Anthony Joshua in an all-British showdown in 2025, despite contesting the decision to award Oleksandr Usyk victory in their bout in Riyadh.

Fury now has two defeats on his record, both by Usyk, and they will stand. The British fighter, 36, has earned a staggering sum in the past five years, for his trilogy of fights with Deontay Wilder in the United States and recent events against Usyk in Saudi Arabia. However, it remains to be seen whether the heavyweight can haul himself into camp for one last hurrah.

He hinted in the aftermath of his second loss to Usyk, that he may even retire.

I will knock out Anthony Joshua in one or two rounds - Fury -

JUST IN: [VIDEOS] Body Language Expert: Fury Showed Doubts In The Usyk Rematch

“You might see me fight again, you might not,” Fury said post-fight.

And if the former two-time heavyweight champion does decide to call it a day, it will deny British fight fans the clash they have been clamouring for, with him and Joshua having been on a collision course for almost a decade.

Promoter Eddie Hearn is calling for it now.

“The reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua,” he told DAZN. “It’s the biggest fight in the history of British boxing and everyone will want to see it.”

“For me, AJ against Fury is the one. One at Wembley and then back out here for Riyadh season. I will be pushing his excellency [Saudi Arabia’s boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh] to make the fight.”

If instead he chooses to retire, Fury will still be remembered as a great heavyweight and one of the sport’s great showmen. With freakish skills for his size, his crowning glories were deposing Wladimir Klitschko, who had reigned as heavyweight king for a decade, and for the trilogy of fights with Wilder, who was considered the most dangerous puncher on the planet at the time.

First, though, Fury must deal with the second defeat of his career, and one which he vehemently disagrees with: “I thought I won the fight again, I was Larry Holmes-ed again,” said Fury. “I was on the front foot the entire time. When you don’t get the knockout this is what can happen.”

As Fury walked to his dressing room after the fight, his oldest son Prince by his side, he asserted that he believed that he had won “by three rounds”. That view was re-enforced by Frank Warren, his promoter, who was bewildered by the judges’ scores of 116-112 to Usyk, meaning that all three ringside officials had scored the world championship bout at eight rounds to four in favour of Usyk.

Several of the rounds were extremely close. That was reflected in the three judges being in unison on only seven of the 12 rounds, with them favouring the second half of the fight towards the Ukrainian.

Daniel Dubois, the holder of the IBF belt stepped into the ring as Usyk was being interviewed by the television broadcasters, to call Usyk out for a second – this time unification – contest. Usyk immediately agreed, which shows the kind of champion the Ukrainian remains.

If Dubois is triumphant in his own title defence in Riyadh on February 22 in an enticing contest with Joseph Parker, we may witness that showdown next summer. And yet, Dubois-Parker could go either way. In truth, Usyk could consider stopping now – he turns 38 in January – and be considered as the standout heavyweight fighter of the era.

If the careers of some in the division are reaching their zenith, the audience at the Kingdom Arena witnessed the rising star of the division in Moses Itauma, the young Briton who knocked out Australian Demsey McKean in the first round. He did it in 1min 57sec in a statement that reverberated across the boxing world. Itauma is now 11-0, with nine knockouts. He is a southpaw with devastating power. In a week’s time, he turns 20.

Promoted by Warren, Moses is set to take over the division. “If he keeps going like this, he could be the world champion in a year. But we won’t rush him …” Warren has said.

The overriding aura Itauma brings? That boxing is a young man’s game, and we are witnessing the emergence of a special talent. A talent which might just make the elder statesmen of the division – Usyk, Fury, Joshua – reposition their plans.

A body language expert says Tyson Fury’s behavior showed he was not confident about winning the Oleksandr Usyk rematch. 

Fury suffered his second loss to the Ukrainian, losing a unanimous decision. It rules out any hope or need for a trilogy fight, as Usyk will go down as the best heavyweight of this era. Fury looked much more comfortable in the build-up compared to the first bout, raising hopes he could win. In the first fight, Fury showed visible signs that he was not 100 percent in the right frame of mind. During the kick-off press conference, he butted heads with Usyk, trying to exert his physical advantage over him.

READ: WATCH: Mayweather Reacts To Fury’s Second Usyk Loss – ‘Usyk Is Taking Over’

But the Ukrainian stood his ground, showing he was not going to be intimidated. During the final face-off in the presser for the first fight, Fury refused to look at Usyk. Usyk stood alone at the face-off, staring directly at Fury, whose focus was on the crowd. Usyk ultimately won that fight via a split decision.
In the rematch, Fury’s demeanour changed. He was much more on the offensive, saying he would knock out Usyk.

During their final face-off, he locked eyes with Usyk, and the two stared each other down for over ten minutes. As they were being separated, Fury fired verbal shots at Usyk, who once again refused to back down. But when it came to the fight, Judi James noticed something different. She felt Fury’s sudden gasp of air before the fight began, showed a fighter who was looking for this to be over as soon as possible. Perhaps that was a sign he was not ready to do whatever it took to get the win.

“There was one key gesture though that seemed to signal a motivational glitch or problem and which acted as a red flag in terms of his chances of winning this fight. A very chilling gesture of the puffing out of air as he got down to the business of the fight suggested he just wanted to get it over with, whereas successful boxers tend to look excited by and longing for the fight itself. ‘Some of the best boxers have approached their fights looking like dogs pulling to get off the leash and get stuck in,” Judi James said 

James was also not convinced by Fury’s victory celebrations in the aftermath. The following picture shows him with both arms aloft in the air as a sign he was confident of a win. But the wider body language may suggest this was an act to convince himself he had done enough. Tyson was also adamant he won the first fight, with many clearing seeing Usyk as the winner. The boxing stats had Usyk as the winner again. He landed more punches, with 179, compared to Fury’s 142. Even the AI scoring had Usyk winning 118-112.

“The way he then rubbed his nose in a cut-off gesture made the victory displays look like acted bravado though and he stared at the press with wide, rounded eyes from a battered face while his deep sighs registered sadness. ‘His “I won that fight” came with a smacking of the lips and then a lip clamp to suggest he’d hear no argument. ‘But then the hurt began to show. Fury rocked in his chair in a self-comfort ritual and in a micro-gesture of pain he shook his head from side to side, rubbed his mouth and closed his eyes in a wince,” James added

Jeff Mayweather says Tyson Fury did not take enough risks, which is why he came up short against Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk secured another victory against Fury via a unanimous decision to retain his unified heavyweight titles. It was the second defeat of Fury’s career, ending any need for a trilogy fight. Once again, Fury was upset with the result, being adamant that he had done enough to win. Frank Warren also came out to say he could not understand the judging, as all three scorecards were 116-112 in favor of Usyk. However, the boxing statistics showed that the Ukrainian was the better fighter.

Usyk landed 179 punches compared to Fury’s 144. Fury threw more punches at 509 compared to Usyk’s 423. But the Ukrainian was the more accurate fighter. The card also used AI scoring for the first time in boxing’s history. The AI scorecards had it an even wider win for Usyk at 118-112. Mayweather has now given his take on what went wrong. He felt Fury did not take enough chances going into the latter part of the fight, which ultimately proved the difference, as Usyk finished stronger.

READ: VIDEO: ‘Not easy but easier’: Oleksandr Usyk reacts to second win over Tyson Fury

“The fight was extremely close. It could go either way, but I’ll lean a little bit toward Tyson. Every other round, he [Usyk] would do good, but not as much as Tyson did. Usyk is taking over the heavyweights. They’re all getting beat by Usyk. So, probably not. I don’t think anyone wants to see a third fight [between Fury and Usyk]. The first fight to me was very good. The second fight was mediocre. Neither one of them did too much. Basically, I think, both guys were fighting safe, and that’s probably why Tyson didn’t get the fight. He was fighting too safe,” Mayweather said

It is one thing to say that but another thing entirely to execute it. A large part of Fury’s problem was that he could not keep up with Usyk’s constant pressure. The Ukrainian is known for his impeccable footwork, as he continuously put his front foot on the outside, allowing him to get into position to let that left hand go. Fury also came in heavier than the first fight, which may have had an impact later down the stretch. Although it could have helped Fury sit down on his punches, if he attempted to get the knockout, he would ultimately carry more pounds.

There is also a suggestion that Fury did not risk going for the knockout, given what happened in the first fight. He ultimately lost a split decision but was almost stopped in the ninth round, only for the referee to intervene by imposing a standing eight count. If Fury continues boxing, he is likely to face Anthony Joshua. While he was stopped against Daniel Dubois, AJ is known for letting off huge combinations. And if Fury wants to come out victorious in the big fights, he must take more chances.

Frank Warren has hit out at ‘bullsh*t’ claims after Tyson Fury was accused of breaking the rules in his fight against Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Usyk in Saturday’s rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The scoring angered the Brit, who slammed the verdict in new backstage footage.

His long-time promoter Warren also made his feelings clear as he gave an astonishing post-fight interview in the ring, with the scorecards in his hands.

A couple of days removed from the world championship showdown, Warren has launched an outburst at claims Fury broke the rules before the bout.

Boxing fans had accused the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ of having his shorts pulled up too high for his bout against Usyk.Tyson Fury

But the 72-year-old has jumped to Fury’s defence, passionately refuting the suggestion that his fighter’s kit was illegal.

“One of the journalists talking about him wearing his shorts up to underneath his nipples… bullsh*t is it,” he told Box Nation.

“The referee came in the dressing room before the fight. The way he wore them was legal. Did you hear one complaint about that from the other side?

“None at all… some idiot in there who knows nothing about boxing coming out with that and it’s just, I don’t know, I just find it ridiculous some of this stuff.”

Frank Warren alongside Tyson Fury for a press conference. Image: Getty

Warren also shared his thoughts on Fury’s beard, which came under scrutiny ahead of his rematch.

But the legendary promoter described the situation a ‘non-issue’ in yet another rant.

“A non-issue,” he replied when asked about Fury’s beard. “A total lot of crap and a non-issue. If it was illegal, then they wouldn’t have allowed him to wear his beard.

What’s next for Oleksandr Usyk?

The question has left many wondering what the man on the top of the mountain will do. The fans saw him do the unthinkable again. He slayed Tyson Fury for a second time, and with him turning 38 next year, the fans are intrigued about his future. While there is nothing concrete, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has left a major clue.

Usyk, 37, handed a defeat to Fury, 36, in their rematch this past Saturday and held on to his unified heavyweight title. The fight, marred with controversy, solidified the Ukrainian fighter’s legacy, and some might even go on to argue that he could hang up the boxing gloves. However, Daniel Dubois doesn’t think that way. He wants revenge. And he tried to set up the fight he had been looking for almost a year now after he collected a loss against ‘The Cat’. He even stormed into the ring to set the wheels in motion, and it seems it has worked.

Turki Alalshikh breaks his silence on judging controversy during Oleksandr  Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 fight night

JUST IN: VIDEO: ‘Not easy but easier’: Oleksandr Usyk reacts to second win over Tyson Fury

Alalshikh, 43, turned to his X handle and shared what he had planned. For Usyk, at 23-0, he revealed a future fight with the winner of ‘Triple D’ vs. Joseph Parker. He wrote, “Usyk told me he is ready to do any fight in the future , we agreed he rest for now and nothing before the result between Dubois and Parker.”

TURKI ALALSHIKH

Notably, Dubois, 27, will defend the IBF title against Parker, 32, on February 22, and the winner could be booked to fight Usyk next. The fight could set up another undisputed crown ceremony. But will it happen? Will Usyk take the fight, especially given his age and his desire to move down to cruiserweight?

When the latter interrupted his festivities, the two-division undisputed champion was keen to give Dubois his revenge match. Many criticized the British boxer for his antics, which led to Usyk demanding HE Turki Alalshikh to arrange the fight. Interestingly, before the Fury fight, Usyk admitted he wanted to move down to cruiserweight. He told Sky Sports, “I’ll try and go back to cruiserweight again. Yeah, I will try.”

Before the February 22 card and its result shake up the heavyweight division, Usyk can have his much-needed rest. He was eager to spend holidays with his family, too. He said, “I’m gonna go home now and enjoy it. We go home to a new year. Let’s see what it brings.” So, it remains to be seen when the fans can see him in the ring next. It could be sooner than most of us expected it to be.

Following his latest win over Tyson Fury this past weekend to retain his heavyweight titles, Oleksandr Usyk appeared at the post fight press conference to talk to the media about his thoughts on the win.

Here’s some of what Usyk had to say about the fight.

Usyk on what he was thinking heading into the last round of the fight

“I don’t think about it, I’m just boxing. I’m just continue my plan, what say Yuri, my coach.”

JUST IN: WATCH: Floyd Mayweather scored fastest KO of his career by flattening foe with dynamite right-hand

On whether this second fight was easier than the first

“Fight was easy — not easy but easier.”

On his bond with Fury after two full fights at the highest level of the sport

“Tyson my best friend. Listen, I very respect this guy because I think it’s very tough, my opponent. Tyson Fury make me strong…Tyson is a great opponent, it’s a big man, a tough boxer. It’s a good man. Tyson, a lot of talk, yeah? It’s just show. I very respect Tyson Fury. 24 rounds, listen, now is already history.”

On Fury calling the win a Christmas gift and Frank Warren saying he can’t see how the judges scored the fight for him

“Uncle Frank, I think blind. If Tyson say it’s Christmas gift, okay. Thank you God, not Tyson…Listen, Frank crazy man, you know, I think. That’s my opinion. Ok, no problem. I win.”

Tyson Fury has reportedly made a decision as to whether he will fight again Fury was beaten on points for a second time by Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday 

Tyson Fury has revealed his future career plans just one day after suffering defeat in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

In the lead-up to Saturday’s showdown the 36-year-old vowed to be all business from the opening bell having previously faced criticism for his antics in his first encounter with Usyk.

Throughout many of the early rounds Fury marched forward, utilising all 281lbs of his gargantuan frame to keep the Ukrainian on the back foot.

Much as it did in the first fight the momentum began to swing in Usyk’s favour in the later rounds as he repeatedly found a home for well-timed counters in combination.Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

Once again both men survived to hear the final bell and all eyes turned to the judges with the world title on the line.

This time all three judges ruled the same, scoring the fight 116-112 in the defending champion’s favour and condemning Fury to the second defeat of his professional career.

After remonstrating with promoter Frank Warren after the scores were read out, Fury stormed out of the ring without conducting a customary post-fight interview, leading to questions surrounding his future in the sport.

However, according to a report from The Sun, Fury’s fighting days are not over just yet.

A source told the publication that after returning to the UK, Fury told close friends: ‘It’s not over.’

While another shot at redemption against Uysk is not out of the question, an all-British heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua could soon be on the horizon.

The bitter rivals have engaged in a long-running war of words and could soon settle their differences inside the ring.

Speaking following Saturday’s showdown Warren insisted that Fury vs Joshua is the fight to make if the Gypsy King elects to continue fighting.

He told The Sun: ‘It’s what people will want to watch. Tyson Fury

‘The Fury/Joshua fight is a great fight and if it happens it will be a mega fight, it will be brilliant.

But it will only happen if Tyson wants to do it and that’s a big if. And if he doesn’t want to do it, then so be it.’

Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn agreed: ‘The reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua.’

‘It’s the biggest fight probably in the history of British boxing, everyone will always want to see it.

‘For me, AJ against Fury is the one, it’s the one at Wembley, I’m going to be pushing His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] to make the fight.’

Fury and Joshua had been scheduled to clash in 2022, while the former was still the WBC heavyweight champion.

Negotiations had been ongoing for a bout in December of that year before collapsing, with Fury instead defending his title against Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Joshua’s last fight came in September when he was stopped in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois for the IBF title.

Tyson Fury stormed out of the ring after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk before taking aim at the ‘Larry Holmes’ judges who scored the heavyweight title rematch

In a fiery response to his defeat in the heavyweight title rematch, Tyson Fury blasted that Oleksandr Usyk received an early Christmas present. An incensed Fury departed the ring without indulging in the customary post-fight interview after digesting the judges’ scoring of his loss to the Ukrainian champion.

The closely contested bout concluded with Usyk keeping his WBC, WBA and WBO titles, with 116-112 scorecards favoring him across the board. Fury vented his frustration backstage, asserting: “Honestly, I thought I won by three rounds”.

Despite various opinions on whether Fury or Usyk triumphed, including from an AI judge, the official judges harshly scored against Fury’s performance during the latter half. Judge ‘Jerry’ Martinez awarded Fury three of the first five rounds but then assigned the following six straight to Usyk, save for the final round which went to the Gypsy King.Tyson Fury given 'simple' tactic to beat Oleksandr Usyk in rematch - Mirror  Online

  • Tyson Fury fumes at Oleksandr Usyk loss in backstage footage after skipping interview
  • AI judge scorecard for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk released in boxing first

Patrick Morley started by giving Fury four of the initial five rounds, yet sided with the champion for the next seven. The third judge, Ignacio Robles, only gave Fury one of the last seven rounds, despite initially having him ahead after five.

Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, expressed his outrage over the scoring that he found utterly unbelievable. “It’s impossible,” Warren declared.

“How did Tyson only get four rounds in this fight? Everyone across the front all thought the same way. It’s nuts. Did you only give him four rounds. Nuts. I don’t get it. Really disappointed with that.

“I thought Tyson was in control. Thought he boxed extremely well. One judge didn’t give him any round from round six onwards. How can that be? Same with the other judge here. He gave him one round of the last six. It’s crazy. A nonsense.

“Oscar de le Hoya and I had him [Fury] winning by three or four rounds. What fight were they watching? You lose you lose, that’s fair enough. But come on. It’s nuts.

Following a second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia with world titles on the line, Tyson Fury was naturally asked about his future in the sport.  

Having retired a handful of times already, fans could be forgiven for taking his career announcements with a pinch of salt.

Those announcements came from a position of great power – one of boxing’s top draws and an undefeated heavyweight champion.

TYSON FURY

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to retain unified heavyweight championship – as it happened

Now, a Ukrainian he often belittled as a blown-up middleweight – whom he also chastised Anthony Joshua for losing to twice – has, you guessed it… beaten him twice.

The two-time heavyweight champion stormed out of the ring once his promoter Frank Warren showed him the scorecards for the fight which read 116-112 across the board from the human judges and 118-112 from the first-time ever AI judge.

Backstage, Fury insisted to the following pack of media that he had won that fight by at least three rounds.

Without saying he was cheated in Saudi Arabia, the Brit would heavily imply it.

In the press conference, he was flatly asked what’s next for him after coming up short in undisputed and then unified title fights, signalling the first losses of his entire professional career.

‘You might see me fight again, you might not,’ he cryptically answered.

But most of the boxing world suspects we do indeed see him fight again and finally, against Anthony Joshua.

The domestic dust-up has been mooted for the best part of a decade, ever since Fury first became champion when he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

Just over four months later, Joshua became a champion in his own right by demolishing Charles Martin inside two rounds at the O2 Arena, and the all-British clash looked like the obvious fight to make.

Yet fans have still never seen Fury and Joshua settle their differences inside the ring. That could soon change.

Both men would be entering the bout off the back of defeats after Joshua was dominated by Daniel Dubois in September, but there remains interest in how it would all unfold.

We could find out in 2025, with Wembley Stadium beckoning for what remains arguably the biggest commercial fight in world boxing.

Alternatively, Fury could finally walk away once and for all. The two-time heavyweight king has climbed to the top of the mountain, beating the likes of Klitschko and Deontay Wilder along the way.

Now, he has a big decision to make over whether to fight on or hang up his gloves for good.

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