By Brian Webber: Trainer SugarHill Steward says Tyson Fury is retired, and he’s not going to say anything different from what he’s already told the media.
The way that SugarHill smiled while being asked whether WBC heavyweight champion Fury will be returning to the ring to fight for the undisputed championship suggests that he’s not retiring.
In other words, Fury’s retirement is just one of his gags. With that said, if IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua in their rematch tentatively scheduled for July 23rd, there’s a real possibility that Fury will retire.
It’s believed that ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) only has an interest in fighting the superstar Joshua, not Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), who isn’t anywhere near as popular, and has a difficult style that would be a massive headache for Tyson to deal with.
Fury can probably still make more money fighting Joshua next, even if he loses his July rematch with Usyk. There would be much more interest worldwide in a Joshua vs. Fury fight than a match involving the crafty unified champion Usyk.
“Look, Tyson Fury is 6’9″, 270 pounds. He’s bigger than me. I’m 5’9″,175, and I’m not going against him,” said SugarHill Steward to iFL TV, when asked if Tyson Fury is retiring or not. “He’s retired, he’s retired. I’m not going to say anything different.
“Are you trying to get me caught with one of those shots that I can’t see? Since he learned how to set them up and put power behind them, I’m not going to get caught with a dose of my own medicine,” said SugarHill about Fury will resume his career or not.
Fury hasn’t turned his WBC belt to the World Boxing Council, which means lets you know that he’s not serious about retiring. Is Fury angling for more money? Some would say that Fury’s entire gambit with his retirement talk is to try and get more money when he does return to the ring.
Although Fury says he doesn’t care about money, the fact that he’s interested in fighting UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou would suggest otherwise.
If Usyk does defeat Joshua, there’s a good chance Fury will retire because there’s too much risk involved in him facing the unbeaten three-belt champion. Additionally, Fury can make more money fighting Ngannou and other UFC heavyweights without risking a loss on his resume.
“I don’t know,” said SugarHill when asked if Fury would choose to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship if an offer were made to him.
“It is, and it has been very frustrating for him, and depressing and a mental challenge of having big fights present themselves and then be taken away.
“So, I don’t know if he wants to go through that again or if he’s just keeping himself away from it all together, so you don’t have to go through it,” said SugarHill
