Tyson Fury is expected to return to the ring later this summer, but Andy Ruiz Jr will not be his opponent, according to the British boxer's promoter, Frank Warren. Fury, 37, announced his retirement from boxing last year after consecutive defeats to long-time rival Oleksandr Usyk, only to reverse his decision months later and express his desire to compete again in 2026.
Fury's Comeback Victory
The former two-time heavyweight champion made his comeback in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov, securing a convincing points victory in front of over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London. Immediately after the win, Fury grabbed the microphone and demanded a face-off with Anthony Joshua, who was sitting ringside. However, Joshua refused to engage and remained seated.
Agreement for Future Clash
Days later, it was announced that the pair had finally agreed to fight each other. Joshua is set to take on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia next month, while Fury is expected to fight in August. Several opponents have expressed interest in facing Fury, including Ruiz Jr, but Warren has ruled out the Mexican-American fighter due to his excessive financial demands.
"He wants to fight, he wants a fight before the 'AJ' fight, providing 'AJ' comes through, which he should do, so he wants a fight before that or he'll have been out for another seven months. The intentions are he will have another fight, and I'm hoping we'll be in a position very soon, with a bit of luck this week or maybe next week, that we can announce the opponent and the venue," Warren told Playbook Boxing.
The Queensberry supremo added: "It won't be him. It'll be a decent name for him. Obviously, it's like everything, his eye is on the 'AJ' fight but it won't be Andy Ruiz. The reason he doesn't fight is cause the money he asks for is ridiculous."
Training Camp in Thailand
Just weeks after his comeback win, Fury has returned to Thailand to begin preparations for his next contest. In a recent video on his Instagram story, the 'Gypsy King' is seen running on roads in Phuket, with his coach Robert "Sifu" McInnes following closely on a quadbike. "First day back in camp, ready for the fight on August 1. Tyson's home," said McInnes, moving the camera to Fury. "He's back," shouted the boxer. "He's back in Thailand, baby. Camp two, back in camp."
The heavyweight icon later captioned the video: "Let's go August 1, Dublin, Ireland." The 37-year-old is expected to share the same card as Pierce O'Leary's mouthwatering showdown with Mark Chamberlain, which has already been confirmed.
Joshua's Challenge
Joshua recently challenged Fury to take on undefeated star Moses Itauma in his next appearance before their clash. "[Fury] was saying to me when I was looking for an opponent for this day, he was like, 'Fight [Fabio] Wardley, fight Itauma, these fights are easy to make if you're looking for a comeback fight,'" Joshua told talkSPORT. "So I think that [Itauma] would be a perfect name because they're all under the same promotion. So if Fury is what he says he is, maybe he should step forward and Frank [Warren] should put his fighter forward instead of worrying about what I'm up to."
