Tyson Fury has received the backing of a man he knows very well ahead of a potential trilogy showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
‘The Gypsy King’ announced last month that he would end a near year-long retirement following his second points defeat to Usyk in December 2024.
Several weeks after that, it was confirmed that he will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on July 11, with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, having since been named as the venue for their heavyweight contest.
Gearing up for his return, which will be streamed live on Netflix, Fury has posted several social media clips of himself training in Thailand.
At this stage, though, his training situation remains largely unclear, with many wondering who his head coach is likely to be on fight night.
While American trainer SugarHill Steward was at the helm for his last seven assignments, some fans believe that the 37-year-old’s father John will step into a more influential role in April.
Either way, Fury is expected to target a third encounter with bona fide heavyweight king Usyk if he is to emerge victorious against Makhmudov.
That much has been suggested by Queensberry promoter Frank Warren, who told Sky Sports earlier this week that the Morecambe man still wishes to test himself at the highest level.
One man who feels Fury can come out on top in a third meeting with the Ukrainian is former British heavyweight champion David Price, who beat ‘The Gypsy King’ as an amateur.
Speaking with Boxing Social, Price believes that Fury, despite losing to Usyk on two occasions, could potentially still exact his revenge on the Ukrainian.
“Yeah, I do [think Fury can beat Usyk]… for two reasons. [In] the second fight, there wasn’t much in it.
“Even the first fight – apart from [Fury] getting hurt in [round nine], there [was] so little in it.
“[In] the second fight, he lost on points in a very close fight. Both are getting older – Usyk’s been out of the ring [since beating Dubois in July].
“So I don’t see why [Fury] wouldn’t want to go for that fight. He needs challenging, and the only one who seemed to be able to challenge him – disregarding the Francis Ngannou fight – is Usyk.
“Stylistically, it’s not a hard, gruelling fight for Tyson Fury. It’s a chess match.”
Fury lost his first encounter to Usyk via a split decision in May 2024, and while their rematch resulted in a unanimous verdict, many felt that it was a more competitive affair.