Fury set for 2026 return, says Saudi boxing bigwig
Tyson Fury has given his word over a return to the ring in 2026, boxing dealmaker Turki Alalshikh has claimed.
The man behind Riyadh Season, seen as key to a resurgence in boxing, spoke on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday saying the Gypsy King will return next year.
It comes after Fury retired for the fourth time following a pair of losses to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in 2024 – both in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
He lost the first by split decision and the second by unanimous decision to leave his professional boxing record at 34-2-1 – the draw came in 2018 against Deontay Wilder.
Fury ‘will be back’
“The ‘Gypsy King’ will be back,” the Saudi figure said on X. “I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026.
“We have a rabbit to hunt.”
The news could put a potential Battle of Britain fight back on the table against Anthony Joshua, which has long been muted by those who run boxing.
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn last month said that 2026 would “probably” be Joshua’s last year in boxing, with fans hoping for the elusive bout versus Fury to come to fruition.
Fury’s first loss to Usyk may have damaged his pride but it did wonders for his bank account, with his wealth surging from £82.2m to £161.9m in the 12 months to the end of September 2024, according to accounts filed with Companies House.
Tyson Fury Ltd’s next updated accounts will include the second bout against the Ukrainian, who is taking on Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on 19 July.
The Joshua versus Dubois fight last year saw over 90,000 fans attend the English national stadium to see AJ lose his fourth professional fight.
It left his professional boxing record at 28-4 with his other losses coming against Usyk (twice) and Andy Ruiz Jr.