"I WON'T BE THERE"—JOHN FURY BOYCOTTS TYSON'S TOTTENHAM HOMECOMING AGAINST MAKHMUDOV
John Fury confirms he will not attend Tyson Fury’s comeback against Makhmudov. Read why the father-son bond is "destroyed."
John Fury has already made up his mind: he won't be at his son Tyson's big comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
It’s only been 15 months since Tyson Fury said he was done with boxing, but here he is, coming out of retirement for the fifth time. On Saturday night, he’ll step into the ring at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Russia’s Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash.
Everyone’s talking about what comes next. If Fury wins, there’s buzz about finally seeing him face Anthony Joshua later this year. A rematch with Oleksandr Usyk is also floating around.
Fury says the reason for his return is personal. After a car crash killed some of Joshua’s friends last December, he says it hit him that life’s too short. He wants to live every day like it’s his last.
But not everyone’s on board, especially his dad, John. Out of everyone in Fury’s circle, John’s been the loudest in saying he doesn't want to see his son back in the ring. People have wondered if he’d even show up to the fight.
Turns out, he won’t. Mail Sport reported John won’t be at the event and is still flat-out against Tyson’s comeback, even though he did show up at the press conference back in February.
This isn’t coming out of nowhere. Just a few weeks ago, John admitted his relationship with Tyson had been badly damaged by this return to boxing.
"My relationship with Tyson is destroyed," he told Playbook Boxing. "Boxing destroyed it completely. I'll say it on camera: I've never taken £10 off him in my life and I never will.
"I don't want Tyson's money, and I don't need Tyson's money. Whatever he's got, good luck to him. But don’t forget who built his story when he was a kid. He didn't build it himself, did he? Me, his father.
"I was 30 seconds away from asking for a break there. I haven't really expressed these emotions before, but they're strong, and they're there.
"I think he's past his best. I'm a no-filter kind of guy. I say it how I see it. I love him, but there are too many people patting him on the back and telling him things that aren't true, building him up like he's invincible. He's not, and he hasn't been for a while."
John isn’t the only one who feels this way. Tyson’s wife, Paris and his brother Tommy have also spoken up about wanting him to stay retired.
"If you asked any one of his family if we want to see him keep boxing, the answer would be a big ‘no’ from all of us," Tommy said to Bloody Elbow. "That’s everyone, because we care about his health."
EDDIE HEARN OFFICIALLY BLOCKS WHITTAKER VS MORRELL; SUAREZ FIGHT REMAINS FOR APRIL
Ben Whittaker headlines Liverpool on April 18! Eddie Hearn explains why he rejected David Morrell for Braian Suarez.
Eddie Hearn isn’t having any of this talk about Ben Whittaker fighting David Morrell, at least not yet. As he sees it, Whittaker’s just not ready for that kind of step up, and that’s fine. Hearn made it clear he wants Whittaker to keep moving forward, but to do it the right way, matching him carefully as he builds experience.
He didn’t sugarcoat it, either. Hearn put Morrell right up there with the top guys at light heavyweight. In his eyes, Whittaker isn’t in that league yet. The British fighter’s got an Olympic silver medal, sure, and he’s undefeated so far, but he hasn’t even fought a full 12-rounder yet. That’s a sign for Hearn and his team that he’s not ready to jump in with elite opponents.
“We’re not fighting at that level yet,” Hearn said. He figures Whittaker probably needs three or four more fights before taking on someone like Morrell.
Next up, Whittaker headlines in Liverpool on April 18, facing Argentina’s Braian Nahuel Suarez in a 10-rounder. He only got bumped up to the main event because Callum Smith pulled out with an injury. Smith was supposed to take on Morrell that night. With Smith out, Morrell went straight to social media to call Whittaker out: “Ben Whittaker, I’m ready to fight April 18th. How are you older than me and still a prospect? Let’s give the fans the fight they want to see!”
But Hearn isn’t budging. Whittaker’s got Suarez locked in after a short training camp, and they’re not swapping him out for someone as dangerous as Morrell at the last minute.
If Whittaker wins in Liverpool, he’s already got a return date pencilled in June 27, against an American opponent still to be named. If he comes through that, Hearn says they’ll look at a step up with British contenders like Anthony Yarde or Lyndon Arthur before a shot at a world title comes into the picture.
Fans haven’t been thrilled, honestly. A lot of them are frustrated with the slow pace and level of Whittaker’s opponents so far. He turns 29 on June 6, and people are starting to wonder when he’s actually going to take on the big names.
For now, though, Hearn’s message is pretty simple: no shortcuts. Morrell, meanwhile, is still waiting for a new fight date after the Smith pullout, itching to get back in the ring after his own training camp.
TYSON FURY TARGETS ANTHONY JOSHUA IMMEDIATELY AFTER SATURDAY'S CLASH WITH MAKHMUDOV
Is Anthony Joshua vs Wilder happening? Eddie Hearn reveals AJ’s recovery plan and the path to a Tyson Fury mega-fight.
Tyson Fury really wants Anthony Joshua as his next opponent, but he’s looking for a tune-up fight first. This weekend, Fury finally steps back into the ring in London, facing Arslanbek Makhmudov. He’s hoping to shake off any ring rust and set up some massive fights for later in the year. Joshua sits right at the top of that list.
Everyone thought Fury and Joshua would meet this summer, but things changed after Joshua’s car accident last December. Joshua now seems focused on getting a warm-up fight himself before diving into anything big with Fury.
Still, Fury is eager to go straight into a Joshua showdown. Speaking about it, Fury said, “I've got Arslanbek Makhmudov to think of on Saturday night, but if all goes well, Joshua is the fight I want next. I know he just had his fight with Jake Paul, whatever, a fight’s a fight. Yeah, I’ll be ready for that straight away after this.”
Fury hasn’t picked a date for his next fight yet, but he’s aiming for three bouts this year. He might want to fit in another match before going toe-to-toe with Joshua, so their schedules might not line up perfectly.
On Joshua’s side, he’s back in training with Oleksandr Usyk and planning a summer return. He was even at ringside to watch Deontay Wilder beat Derek Chisora. After the fight, Wilder called Joshua out, leading to an awkward face-off.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, thinks Wilder could work as the ideal tune-up before facing Fury at the end of the year. Hearn said, “This is what I want. We need a warm-up fight before Tyson Fury, because AJ’s recovering from his accident. We’ll take Deontay Wilder as that warm-up and then fight Tyson Fury in December. And I’ve got to give credit to Wilder—he looked sharper against Chisora than he has in a while.”
