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Mike CoppingerESPN
Tyson Fury, who confirmed in April that he was retiring, has announced that he’s returning to the boxing ring.
The heavyweight champion’s preferred opponent is Derek Chisora, whom he already defeated twice in lopsided fashion. There is no deal yet, with the sides seven figures apart on Chisora’s purse, a source told ESPN.
“You’re running, Derek, from the trilogy,” Fury, ESPN’s No. 1 heavyweight, said on Instagram. “You call yourself war, you should call yourself chicken.
“I’ve decided to come back to boxing because I can be the first heavyweight world champion in history to have two trilogies. I’d always say I’d fight Derek Chisora at the end of my career.”
The event is being eyed for December at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, a source told ESPN. Top Rank and Frank Warren have co-promoted Fury’s last five fights, but this offer was extended by Goldstar Promotions, the company that handles Fury’s meet-and-greets across the U.K., the source said.
The speculation was that Fury, 33, would return to the ring all along, but instead to pursue a fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Oleksandr Usyk defends his three titles in a rematch with Anthony Joshua on Aug. 20. A fight that pits the winner vs. Fury would be among the biggest in all of boxing, so the focus on Chisora is a surprise.
Chisora, a fellow Englishman, ended a three-fight losing streak with a split-decision victory over Kubrat Pulev last month. The 38-year-old Chisora (33-12, 23 KOs) was outpointed by Fury in 2011 and stopped by “The Gypsy King” in Round 10 of their 2014 rematch.
Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) scored a sixth-round TKO of Dillian Whyte in April in London. Before that, he scored two consecutive victories over Wilder, concluding the rivalry with an 11th-round KO in October that was named ESPN’s 2021 Fight of the Year.
After the Whyte fight, Fury said he hadn’t “anything more to give” and “no amount of material assets or money will make me come back out of retirement because I’m very happy.”
Fury, ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer, on Tuesday said on Twitter that he would be coached by longtime training partner Isaac Lowe. He had been trained by SugarHill Steward since the 2019 rematch with Wilder.