Tyson Fury has already retired from boxing five times but is likely to make a stunning comeback again, according to former world champion Johnny Nelson
Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson believes that Tyson Fury will “without a doubt” stage yet another boxing comeback.
‘The Gypsy King’ announced his retirement for the fifth time this January following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, yet speculation has been mounting about a potential 2026 return ever since he hung up his gloves.
Fury has himself hinted at a possible trilogy clash with Usyk scheduled for next April. The Ukrainian, however, must first overcome a heavyweight unification rematch against Daniel Dubois at Wembley on Saturday.
Nelson, 58, held the WBO cruiserweight belt from 1999 to 2006 – a record that stands to this day – and understands intimately the allure of prolonging one’s career beyond its natural end.
He maintains that Fury will fall victim to the same “addiction” that has already prompted four previous comebacks from supposed retirement.
“Without a doubt. I think any fighter, I think I’d say 95 per cent of fighters still think, they’ve got a little burning desire down inside that they want to fight again,” he said to the Mirror, via NewBettingSites.uk.
“Tyson Fury’s not retired. He’s not gone anywhere. So when they say he’s back – he hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s just been on a break. And it’s hard for fighters to fight anyway. You’ve got to be a bit crazy. We’ve all got to, there’s got to be something wrong with wanting to get in the ring and actually hit another human being.”
It’s virtually guaranteed that Fury won’t step into the ring during 2025, with Queensberry promoter Frank Warren recently confirming this on the 5 Live Boxing Podcast. Nevertheless, he also emphasised that the Wythenshawe boxer remains eager to secure his revenge against Usyk.
A third encounter with ‘The Cat’ remains far from guaranteed, with Usyk branding Fury “crazy” for promoting the trilogy bout. Anthony Joshua represents another potential adversary that fans have yearned for, and whilst such a contest would attract massive audiences, it would carry the drawback of no championship belts being on the line.
Nelson expressed understanding for Fury’s situation but said: “Our body and our brain age differently,” acknowledging how overconfidence can influence fighters during their career’s final chapter.
In this regard, he proposed there’s a skill to departing the sport with dignity. “It’s having that discipline to say, ‘No, I’m done,'” he added.
“And, you know, if you’re fortunate enough to be in a financially safe situation, then it’s easy to walk away from that addiction. But if you aren’t financially safe and still have that addiction, God help you. God help you.
“Listen, ‘The Greatest’ did it, Muhammad Ali did it, you know, when he should have walked away. Evander Holyfield did it when he should have walked away. Roy Jones did it when he should have walked away. So it’s an addiction. It’s a true addiction. And as I said, you mentioned Tyson Fury. I don’t think he’ll walk away.”
‘The Entertainer’ bowed out at the pinnacle of his career, boasting an unbroken 21-fight winning streak. His record of 13 consecutive defences of the WBO title remains a joint-record in the cruiserweight division, and he uniquely never lost the belt inside the ring.
This is not a claim that Fury can make, having relinquished the WBC heavyweight title in his initial bout with Usyk before enduring another unanimous-decision loss in their rematch. Despite many believing that Usyk has definitively won their rivalry, Fury’s pride appears to prevent him from conceding defeat.
The Gypsy King will undoubtedly be watching this weekend’s event at Wembley closely as IBF champion Dubois attempts to achieve what he could not – unifying the belts. Fury has also spoken about the possibility of a fight with ‘Dynamite’, who shares a past connection with his fellow Queensberry boxer following an unplanned sparring session several years ago.