By Marcus Richardson: Promoter Frank Warren is applying for former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s boxing license to get him back into the ring and fighting, according to ESPN. Warren reportedly has a chance to be Fury’s promoter when he does return to action. Fury hasn’t fought for 2 years, and he currently is unlicensed following a positive drug test in 2015.
(Photo credit: Ricky Hatton)
Fury’s comeback is possible for April 14 or 21 in London. This would be on Frank Warren’s card, and televised on BT Sport as well as BoxNation. There aren’t any names being mentioned for Fury’s fight back. Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs has offered to fight Fury. He’s not likely get the fight in his first bout back from a long layoff. It would be an interesting match between them.
Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) and Anthony Joshua could battle it out this summer in the UK in a big mega-bout if he’s able to get his boxing license back. Warren will be applying for Fury’s license with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) to get him cleared. Fury is looking forward to getting back in the ring. He’s training and trying to drop the weight that he’s put on during his time out of action. The weight is coming off quickly for Fury, but he still needs more time to take it all off. Fury will need to get down to at least the 260s for him to have a chance of beating Joshua. Fury’s weight will be key to him having success in this comeback.
The 6’9” Fury is not going to be able to overpower big punchers like Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) and Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs). He’s got to be able to use his boxing skills to defeat them. Fury is a rangy fighter when he’s at his best, and those guys will have problems with his reach and mobility if he’s able to get in top form.
Fury is now trained by Ben Davidson. He’s no longer with Peter Fury. Davidson has his work cut out for him though. Fury still has to use a lot of weight, and he’ll need to be sharp for him to have a chance against the top fighters like Joshua, Wilder, Luis Ortiz, Alexander Povetkin, and Joseph Parker. Joshua will take care of some of those fighters by weeding them out long before Fury is expected to fight any of them. But if Fury, 29, can capture a heavyweight title, he’ll be expected to fight those type of heavyweights. For now, Fury doesn’t have to worry about any of those dangerous heavyweights. He’s still trying to get the weight off, and Warren is working to get his boxing license back with the BBBofC.
It’s expected that Fury will be cleared by the British Boxing Board. He’s already been given clearance by the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) for a positive drug test for the banned steroid nandrolone back in 2015. UKAD clearing Fury to fight again is expected to lead to him getting his boxing license back by the BBBofC. It’s good news that Fury has Warren working him, as he’ll help him get his license back so he can continue his career. Fury is still young 29, and he size and the boxing skills to compete on a high level in the heavyweight division. Fury will need to get in shape and get a number of tune-ups under his belt before he faces Joshua in the summer.
“We’re waiting for the Board to come back with a date for the hearing,” Warren told ESPN.co.uk. “Whatever they require we will provide. We’re trying to get is on sooner rather than later. I’m confident and positive there will be a positive outcome,” said Warren.
Fury will likely be tested for drugs to make sure he’s clean. Fury was suspended by the BBBofC in 2016 after testing positive for cocaine. Fury also had issues with mental health.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is anxious to make a fight between Fury and Joshua as soon as possible. It helps Hearn if Fury faces Joshua before he’s fully back 100 percent. If Fury is not in the peak form he was back in 2015 when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko, then that gives Joshua a better chance of beating him. The Fury that dealt Wladimir Klitschko a defeat would be a real handful for Joshua to deal with.
Fury wants to return to action in 3 months from now in April. That would make it almost 2 ½ years since he last fought in November 2015 against the 6’6” Klitschko. In that fight, Fury captured Wladimir’s IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight titles. The IBF belt was stripped from Fury by the International Boxing Federation in December 2015 after he failed to defend it against Vyacheslav Glazkov. Fury vacated his IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on October 12, 2015.
For Fury to face Joshua, Warren will need to work with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. Hearn recently said that it would be much easier for him to make the Joshua-Fury fight if Fury was with his promotional company. That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen though. Hearn will need to work with Warren if he wants to make the fight between Joshua and Fury. If not, then the Joshua-Fury fight won’t get made. Joshua has a fight coming up against WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker on March 31 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Joshua and Hearn need to worry about that before they start concentrating on a fight with Fury. If Joshua loses to Parker, then he can forget about a fight with Fury. Joshua would need to rebuild his career before he could face Fury.
The plan is for Fury to get 3 to 4 tune-up fights under his belt before he faces Joshua for his IBF/WBA heavyweight titles. Joshua will need to beat Parker. There’s less chance of Joshua losing his titles before he faces Fury if he delays his unification fight against WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder until later this year. It would be too risky for Joshua to face Wilder in the summer before he faces Fury. The bigger money fight is between Joshua and Fury.