Boxing

The imperious Tszyu, son of boxing legend Kostya, improved to 16-0 in Townsville on Wednesday and quickly case his gaze towards a potential meeting with WBO light-middleweight king Patrick Teixeira.

Former WBO welterweight champion Horn, who defeated Manny Pacquiao in July 2017, was dropped twice before he retired on his stool ahead of round nine, succumbing to a third loss of his career.

The build-up to the fight was overshadowed by a claim that Tszyu had been training at a gym owned by one of the judges, while another was forced to apologise after it emerged he had tipped Tszyu to win.

The WBO refused to change the judges, but Tszyu ensured they were not needed.

After a scrappy start Tszyu found Horn's chin with a powerful left uppercut in the third round and sent him to the canvas.

Horn managed to get back to his feet but his opponent remained in control, working the head and body effectively to grind away at the 32-year-old.

WBO global super welterweight champion Tszyu followed an excellent right with a body shot to send Horn down for a second time in round six but he continued to show patience and was rewarded at the end of the eighth.

In a post-fight interview, Tszyu said: "All respect to Jeff, he's achieved so much. He's given Australia this platform. This is a young man's sport and I was better this night.

"I said, 'Give me competition, someone who can test me.' It was sink or swim and I'm not going to sink, I'm going to swim. I want the real world title strap around my waist soon.

"I'll be back in the gym Monday and I'll be training, because I know this is not the end, this is just the beginning and this motivates me to keep going.

"It was an honour to share the ring with Jeff."

Tyson has confirmed he will make a comeback on September 12 in Las Vegas, taking on four-weight world champion Jones in a pay-per-view contest between two legendary names in the sport.

The 54-year-old - whose last outing was way back in 2005, when he retired against Kevin McBride - has teased the possibility of a return in recent months, posting videos on social media as he worked out in the gym.

Foreman understands better than most why the duo have signed up for the showdown. At the age of 45, he became the oldest heavyweight champion when he famously stopped Michael Moorer.

"There's a time when you've got to worry about your health, but it's a beautiful thing that they would even come out [and fight]," Foreman told TMZ Sport. 

"Perhaps they can name a charity to be the recipient of the funds. I think it's good to come out, but it's got to be a fun thing."

While making clear the dangers of competing again, Foreman expects it would have been impossible to change Tyson's mind once it was made up.

He said: "Boxing is nothing to play with. I would tell them that it's really dangerous.

"But when you make up your mind to do something like that, you can't tell them not to do it. They're not going to hear that.

"Even me, a big fool like me, back in the day, I only saw what I wanted to see."

McIntyre defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 and called out WBC heavyweight champion Fury after his historic victory.

In response, Fury ridiculed Lesnar, whose actual age is 42, and claimed he would have "set about" both wrestlers had he not been prevented from attending the event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fury has appeared in WWE before, defeating Braun Strowman at the company's Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia last October.

He thinks that experience will stand him in good stead to take on McIntyre, who became the first British world champion in WWE history.

Addressing the challenge on Instagram, Fury wrote: "Drew McIntyre has called me out after his WWE WrestleMania 36 victory.

"First I say congratulations and what a fantastic job. Secondly, I accept his challenge, anytime, any place, anywhere."

Fury then elaborated on the situation in an interview with talkSPORT.

The undefeated boxer said: "I was supposed to be at WrestleMania 36 but obviously with the coronavirus I couldn't be there.

"Drew McIntyre? Well I probably would have jumped in the ring and set about both of them

"I'm all open for it, open for the challenge. I have beaten one big giant wrestler who was bigger than Drew - Braun Strowman, knocked him clean out - I'm sure I'll do the same to our old Drew!

"I'm ecstatic for him because it's the first ever time in history that a British fighter has won the WWE heavyweight championship of the world.

"So congratulations to Drew, but I'm not a 45-year-old man like Brock Lensar, I am in the prime of my life.

"Like I've shown before, I can cross over to any sport and win. If Drew McIntyre wants the Gypsy King then he doesn't have to look very far because I'm here and I'm available!

"[I beat] Deontay Wilder, the most fearsome puncher in the history of heavyweight boxing, so I'll have no objections to smashing Drew McIntyre."

Joshua regained the IBF, WBA and WBO titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019, while Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in February to gain the WBC strap.

Fury posted on Instagram to say an agreement had been reached, though he must first win a trilogy fight against Wilder.

"I'm just after getting off the phone with [broker] Daniel Kinahan. He's just informed me that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed," said Fury.

"Big shout out Dan, he got this done, literally over the line, a two-fight deal, Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua next year.

"One problem, I've just got to smash Deontay Wilder's face right in in the next fight, and then we go into the Joshua fight next year.

"So there we are, the Gypsy King versus AJ is on for next year but there's a hurdle in the road called the Bronze Bomber, AKA the Knockout King, and I will get right onto him and knock him spark out and then get onto the next fight."

Prior to Fury's comments, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said the two fighters had agreed on the financial aspects of the deal.

"We're making great progress," Hearn told Sky Sports. "There is still a lot to overcome. We are looking at venues and dates.

"We have the Dillian Whyte mandatory which is due before this fight. It's fair to say [Joshua and Fury] are in agreement regarding the financial terms of the fight.

"We've been talking to [Fury's management team] MTK, giving them the assurances from Joshua's side that all the details on the structure of the deal is approved from our side. And it is from Fury's side, as well.

"We're in a good place. It's fair to say that, in principle, both guys have agreed to that fight. Two fights.

"[There's] a lot to overcome in the meantime. We're moving in the right direction. I'm confident that both guys have giving their blessing for the fight to go ahead.

"The most difficult part of any deal is the financial element. I believe we're in a great place where both guys have agreed to what that should be.

"We have not signed contracts because there are still things to be worked out. 

"We're pushing towards a place where they can be drafted, for 2021. Both guys are in agreement. The structure of the deal has been put forward and agreed to by both parties."

Joshua is due to fight Kubrat Pulev in October or November but is currently injured, having sustained a knee problem while training.

He was pictured on crutches while attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Watford last week, with his left knee in a brace.

Fury and Wilder will rekindle their fierce rivalry at the MGM Grand Arena, 14 months after a contentious split draw in Los Angeles.

Former unified world champion Fury thought he had done enough to win on points at the Staples Center, though two knockdowns from Wilder in the ninth and 12th rounds respectively ultimately proved costly.

There has been no love lost between the fighters in the lead up to Saturday's rematch but Fury is convinced he has the upper hand, adding that he does not fear taking another punch of the calibre that Wilder landed in the final round in December 2018.

"He's on the back foot already, he's running scared," Fury told Omnisport. 

"It was good [to take the punch]. It's nice to take a big right hand like that now and again. It's what I train for and what I get paid for. It was lovely to do some work for the pay.

"It was a lapse in concentration. I feel fantastic and the training camp has gone well, perfectly. It won't happen again.

"Not worried at all [about taking a big punch]. It's what I get paid to do, train hard and fight hard."

In 2019, Fury stepped back from boxing to venture into professional wrestling.

Fury defeated Braun Strowman on his WWE debut, at the Crown Jewel event, by Countout, and the 31-year-old believes the training regime he went through ahead of his wrestling bow has given him the upper hand against Wilder.

"[The training for wrestling] has helped massively for sure," Fury said.

"There's a massive difference, almost unbelievable, between training for something like that and a world title fight. It's more about agility and speed, definitely."

Fury has faced plenty of scrutiny since it was announced in July that he would next step in the ring with former UFC world heavyweight champion Ngannou on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.

While it will be a boxing contest that lasts 10 rounds in Riyadh, Fury’s WBC heavyweight title will not be on the line and this bout occurs amid the backdrop of a potential unification clash with WBA, IBF and WBO-belt holder Oleksandr Usyk falling through.

The Gypsy King was at his charismatic best in London for the fight dubbed ‘Battle of the Baddest’ but aimed at a dig at the media and his detractors who question why he has not been able to arrange a clash for the ages with Usyk.

“I have to take my hat off to Francis for his story, where he has come from, the fight, the grind and the determination to get to where he is. He was a young boy in Africa with a big dream and everybody at home probably laughed at him,” Fury explained.

“But I won’t laugh at anyone because I know man’s struggle. I come from a place where everything is possible. I may not be here today if things had gone differently so I never underestimate anybody. The media say he has no chance.

“I say if I go to the boozer and get in a brawl with a drunken guy, if he hits me, he may knock me out so how am I not going to prepare 100 per cent for an absolute killing machine who is trying to take my brains out? I will give Francis the respect he 100 per cent deserves.

“I need to bring my A-game because there is more on the line than a boxing fight. If I lose to an MMA guy, I will never be able to show my face in public again and I will be ridiculed. People will chuck it at me forever.

“So, if the media want to take it as a joke or whatever, make no mistake I will come into this leaving zero stones unturned. I will come in at my fittest, strongest and at the best I have ever been. If I am not, if I get knocked out, I want people to laugh at me.”

Both of Fury’s promoters, Frank Warren of Queensberry and Top Rank’s Bob Arum, predicted entertainment will be guaranteed next month, but boxing fans will wonder what is next for Britain’s world heavyweight champion.

Talk continues to rumble on over if Fury could fight compatriot Anthony Joshua in 2024 or if a unification clash may happen with Usyk after the Lancashire boxer beat Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora last year in one-sided fights.

Yet, the 35-year-old dropped a big hint there could be a second tale between himself and Ngannou, who is preparing for his boxing debut.

Fury insisted: “I think I could beat you in the cage. I would kick your a*** in the cage, no problem. One hundred per cent. Personally, I will beat you in the boxing ring and then kick your a*** in the cage.”

This fight will kick off Riyadh season in Saudi Arabia and Fury provided a chilling prophecy of what the future could hold in store for the Middle East country, which is repeatedly criticised by anti-human rights groups and accused of sportswashing.

He added: “It is a very special event for me and a special time in sports where a powerhouse like Saudi Arabia are coming in taking over the game. They are taking over football, taking over boxing, I think within five to 10 years they will be the powerhouse of all sports. All the big sporting events will be in Saudi Arabia somewhere.”

Ngannou will realise a dream by fighting as a professional boxer for the first time and has help from Mike Tyson, who will be in his corner.

Boasting a record of 12 knock-outs in his 17 UFC contests, the 37-year-old from Cameroon promised if his punch lands, it will knock out Fury.

“I ask myself what will happen at the moment that guy hits the floor and doesn’t get up? Does that make me best boxer in the world? If you take out number one, it makes you number one,” Ngannou pondered.

“If it does land, goodnight. Lights off. What do you think will happen? This is a heavyweight fight and that is what is very exciting about heavyweight fights.

“We know everybody in the heavyweight division can knock each other out. I am going in there to fight. To hit and not get hit. That is the rules of boxing and I am very aware of that.”

Heavyweight champion Fury will contest a 35th career bout this weekend, but his WBC title will not be on the line against Ngannou for the 10-round fight.

Fury is set for a long-anticipated undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on December 23, which is also scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia.

First, though, Fury intends to dispatch boxing novice Ngannou, who left the UFC after the end of his contract, a last fight coming in January 2022, before signing up with the Professional Fighters League from 2024.

Trainer SugarHill Steward admitted preparing Fury to take on the Mixed Martial Arts fighter was one of the hardest camps, given they just do not know what to expect from Ngannou.

Fury, though, is confident of what the final outcome will be.

“I have been working with SugarHill to knock him out cold on Sunday night. I have no doubt in my mind that I will knock him out,” Fury said.

“He is a big strong guy. Obviously he has got a good punch, powerful – but so am I. I’m a big strong guy obviously powerful or else I would not be world heavyweight champion.

“I believe there is levels to the game – and he is going to find out my level on Saturday night.”

Fury added: “I have trained for a 12-round war, and if it is anything less it is going to be an early night.

“I’ve been hit by the biggest punches that have ever graced the face of the earth and I’m still undefeated, still standing and I am still number one.

“We are going to see what Francis has got inside of him, see if he’s got the guts to stand and trade with the heavyweight champion of the world and if he has got the belief in his power.

“I’m not convinced. I have heard all this talk before about power, so I’m looking forward to a challenge – and if it is not a challenge, I’ll be disappointed, put in that way.

“I am going to knock that big stiff spark out – and there is nothing he can do about it, no matter who he trains with, no matter who he brings on the night.

“That right hand is going to detonate right in your face, you big ugly dosser.”

During the pre-fight build-up Fury accused Ngannou of being “embarrassed” of his own body.

Fury again goaded the 37-year-old as a “big fat sausage” in Thursday’s media conference ahead of the ‘Battle of the Baddest’.

Cameroon-born Ngannou, though, is fully intent on showing Fury just what he can deliver in a boxing ring rather than the UFC Octagon.

“It might be a little weird, but I really also want to thank Tyson Fury for taking the fight, for taking the risk because he might go to sleep on Saturday night, so I appreciate his courage,” Ngannou said.

Mike Tyson is part of Ngannou’s camp, and enjoyed a verbal sparing with John Fury which saw the 59-year-old Briton challenge the former heavyweight champion to a showdown, regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s contest for his son.

Tyson admitted he was not sure what to make of Ngannou’s boxing ability, until he saw him in close quarters.

“At first when this came to me, I said ‘there’s no way this is going to happen’,” Tyson said.

“Then I watched him spar and he hit this guy and he broke his leg when he went down – and I said ‘man, there is a possibility something good could happen here’.

“I have never seen anything like that before. If he could do that man, he could possibly be heavyweight champion of the world.”

Fury, who will fight to become undisputed world heavyweight champion early next year, narrowly avoided an upset when he beat the Cameroonian in a split decision in October.

Joshua, who has given up hope of ever getting the chance to fight for all four heavyweight titles himself, was unimpressed by Fury’s performance.

The 34-year-old told TNT Sports Boxing YouTube Channel: “He just looked like a flat slob that just can’t fight. He says that bodybuilders can’t fight, but he got smacked up by one.

“I’ve always wanted to get in the ring with him. He does a lot of talking, calls me a bodybuilder and stuff, but I want to marvel at the African power – he’s a bodybuilder, steps in and smacks him up for me.”

Joshua, a former holder of the IBF, WBC and WBO titles, previously targeted unification fights against Fury and Deontay Wilder when he was champion, but neither came to fruition.

Fury, the current WBC champion, will get the opportunity to fight for all four major belts when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk in February.

Joshua returns to the ring against Sweden’s Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia later this month and fears the belts will be separated again before he has the get the chance to fight the victor.

He said: “It won’t happen anymore. I think it’s just the reality.

“What will happen is that Usyk and Fury are now in position to compete for the undisputed, and once they compete for the undisputed, the belts will get split up again.

“And I feel probably it would take me about five to six years to go through and get all the belts, beat all the independent champions. That will probably take me on to being 40-41, so it’s probably not in my timeframe.”

:: Watch the full interview on the TNT Sports Boxing YouTube Channel. ‘Day of Reckoning’, Saturday December 23, as part of Riyadh season, will be available live on TNT Sports Box Office and DAZN. For info on how to watch visit www.dayofreckoning.co.uk.

A proposed date of February 17 in Saudi Arabia had to be shelved after the British boxer suffered a “freak cut” above his right eye in sparring.

It forced the eagerly-anticipated contest to be postponed 15 days before all the heavyweight belts were set to be on the line, but Fury has dispelled fears of a repeat with an appearance in Riyadh ahead of Anthony Joshua fighting Francis Ngannou, who lost a split decision to Fury in October.

“It is healing good. I am not concerned. I never was concerned about the cut,” Fury told DAZN.

“From cut date to fight date was 15 weeks. A cut heals in about eight or nine weeks so I had plenty of time and if the cut opens in the fight, so f*** it!

“If it opens in the fight, there will be blood everywhere and so what? Don’t stop the fight. Let it continue because it’s an undisputed heavyweight championship fight. When I start camp at the end of March, I’ll be ready for sparring.”

A new date of May 18 was quickly rearranged to ensure the first undisputed world heavyweight bout of the century would still take place in 2024.

Fury hit back at his critics and insisted he would beat Usyk, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, before facing the winner of Joshua versus Ngannou.

“There are so many belts on the line and nothing competes with that,” WBC champion Fury said.

“This is the fight of the ages, nothing can compare with this. Not a show fight, not a crossover fight, not YouTube boxing, nothing. This is two undefeated world heavyweight championships colliding for all the belts and it hasn’t been done since whenever.

“Both guys fighting have beat everybody else so this is it. Whoever wins this fight is the best of this era regardless of what anyone’s opinion is or what anyone wants to say. Whoever wins out of me and Usyk is the best of this era.”

On Ngannou’s prospects against Joshua, Fury admitted: “I didn’t have a good night (in October). I had a lot of problems, but I am not here to make excuses.

“I can’t really gauge how good or bad he was because of how poor I was. Watching the fight, that’s what I am here for. The winner of these two will get a shot at a world title from me after I’ve beat Usyk twice this year.

“If Francis wins, it sets up a massive rematch for me and Francis, but if AJ wins, it sets up a big British fight for me and him.

“For me, I have got no money on either side of them so whoever wins it is a bonus because it’s a massive fight either way providing I get through Usyk twice.”

The 31-year-old has two fights remaining on his current contract and had previously spoken of his desire to walk away from boxing at the conclusion of that deal to spend more time with his family.

Having stopped Deontay Wilder to win the WBC title in February, Fury was set to fight the American for a third time this year before the coronavirus pandemic put boxing on hold.

And now, with talk of a unification bout against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua continuing to gain traction, Fury has suggested he is not hanging up his gloves any time soon.

"I'm going to fight on 'til I'm 40 years old," he told ESPN.

"I've been thinking about it, and there isn't much else to do anyways. So yeah, I may as well keep fighting.

"I don't see anyone out there that can challenge me anyway. I just flattened the best one out there, the toughest opponent out there is Deontay Wilder, and we all saw what happened to him the last time out."

Fury has fought 31 times as a professional, winning 30 of those fights and drawing just once, in his initial bout with Wilder.

What appeared a mismatch between the WBC champion and a mixed martial artist boxing professionally for the first time did not go according to plan for Fury, who was decked by a left hook in the third round.

Despite rising to his feet almost immediately, Fury was on unsteady legs in the moments afterwards before getting behind his jab, keen to stay out of range of the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Fury ate a few more big shots and ended the fight with a cut above his forehead and a welt under his left eye – which could have an impact on a proposed showdown against Oleksandr Usyk on December 23.

But the Briton, whose world title was not on the line, was spared what would have been one of the biggest upsets of all-time after being given the nod 96-93 and 95-94 on two scorecards, as the third judge sided with Ngannou 95-94 following an unexpectedly keenly contested 10-round encounter.

“That definitely wasn’t in the script,” Fury said in the ring immediately after improving his record to 34 wins and one draw.

“Francis is a hell of a fighter; strong, a big puncher and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would ever be. He’s a very awkward man and a I respect him a lot – before the fight and afterwards.

“He’s given me one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years. I don’t know how close it was but I got the win and that’s what it is. No excuses, Francis caught me with some good punches, fair play to him.”

The fight was billed as the start to ‘Riyadh Season’, with Saudi Arabia heavily criticised for trying to ‘sportswash’ its reputation and distract from its long history history of human rights abuses.

After fans shuffled to the main arena from a nearby venue which held the undercard, there was an opening ceremony featuring performances from musicians, accompanied by dancers, and culminated in a boxing ring rising from the floor on to the stage.

It was an elaborate spectacle in front of a star-studded crowd which included rappers Kanye West and Eminem as well as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, plus a host of boxing and MMA royalty such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Roberto Duran, Lennox Lewis, Ricky Hatton and Conor McGregor.

Both fighters wore crowns and sat on thrones before making way their way to the ring, Ngannou for the first time aged 37. After the anthems and introductions, there was an expectation the Cameroonian-Frenchman would bull rush his foe but it was Fury who threw a wild overhand right at the outset.

He landed a good jab to the body and head and even appeared to be giving instructions to Ngannou when they were in the clinch, calling to ‘break’. The smaller and slightly lighter Ngannou seemed plodding in comparison as Fury ended the round with a solid combination which rocked his rival’s head back.

However, Ngannou started to settle in the second round and connected with a lead left look before an accidental head clash. It was unclear which caused the cut to Fury’s head but it unsettled the world champion who repeatedly touched the small wound.

If that was a minor issue, Fury had to confront a major setback in the third round after a clubbing counter left hook to the side of his temple – above his right ear – put him on his back.

Ngannou taunted his adversary, briefly dancing over him, but while it was a flash knockdown, it instantly swung the momentum of the fight. From that point Fury was reluctant to engage too much, wary of the power of a man who holds the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded.

Fury was off-balance again in the fourth before rediscovering some rhythm with a jab and right hand in the fifth although he stayed at range, refusing to allow Ngannou any chance of a response.

The pattern of Fury staying on the outside and flicking out the jab continued into the sixth and while Ngannou seemed to be tiring, he was able to routinely outmuscle the favourite in the rare clinches.

There was a lack of urgency down the stretch from Fury and he soaked up another heavy left from Ngannou in the eighth before perhaps doing just enough to nick the final two rounds and with it: the fight.

This was not the tune-up Fury would have envisaged for an undisputed world title showdown against Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion who was ringside to witness his rival’s underwhelming display.

“It will be our next fight guaranteed,” Fury added. “I’m going to go home, take a long, hard rest and we’ll see what’s next.”

Last month Fury confirmed the two Britons - who own all of the four major heavyweight belts between them - had reached an agreement over a pair of bouts to take place in 2021. 

However, Fury has more pressing business to take care of first as Deontay Wilder has invoked a rematch clause for a third bout against the man who took his WBC belt in Las Vegas in February.

Joshua, the IBF, WBA and WBO champion, is due to fight Kubrat Pulev later in the year while he will have another hurdle to clear should Oleksandr Usyk enforce his mandatory shot at the WBO title, which his camp has suggested they intend to do.

All of that has led to Fury doubting whether the proposed all-British showdown between him and Joshua will ever come to fruition.

"If it's supposed to happen... I'm not convinced it is," Fury told iFL TV.

"I never have been convinced. Never, never, never have I ever been convinced that I will fight Anthony Joshua.

"How can I be convinced? If he's got to fight Pulev and if he's got to fight Usyk, how can I be convinced he's going to get through those fights without losing?

"How can I even be confident I'm going to smash Wilder? Wilder can absolutely blitz me in round one with one big right hand, good night Vienna.

"That would put a hell of a wedge in the door. This is why I hate talking about fights that don't really exist yet.

"I have to tell the truth because that's what I'm known to do. Can I honestly say this fight is going to happen, a million per cent, me and Joshua? I can't.

"But providing we both get through our upcoming fights, then I know it's going to happen."

A sixth-round knockout gave Fury an emphatic victory, but it remains to be seen whether he can be tempted back into the ring.

This was Fury's first fight since beating Deontay Wilder in the final part of their trilogy last October in Nevada.

The undefeated 33-year-old, who improved his career record to 32-0-1, told BT Sport Box Office: "I promised my lovely wife Paris of 14 years that after the Wilder III fight that would be it, and I meant it.

"But I got offered to fight at Wembley, at home, and I believed I owed it to the fans, I owed it to every person in the United Kingdom, to come here and fight at Wembley.

"And now it's all done, I have to be a man of my word and I think this it. This might be the final curtain for the Gypsy King, and what a way to go out."

He was thrilled with the manner of his win, saying: "I think Lennox Lewis would even be proud of that right uppercut tonight."

Fury is confident there will remain quality fighters in the heavyweight ranks if he retires, praising the man he beat on Saturday night in London.

"Dillian Whyte is a warrior and I believe Dillian will be a world champion," Fury said. "But tonight he met a great in the sport. I'm one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time and unfortunately for Dillian Whyte he had to face me tonight.

"He's as strong as a bull and has got the heart of a lion, but you're not messing with a mediocre heavyweight, you're messing with the best man on the planet, and you saw that tonight with what happened."

Tyson, 53, is reportedly preparing for a stunning return to boxing, with a bout against old rival Evander Holyfield, 57, spoken about.

Fury, who won the WBC heavyweight title by beating Deontay Wilder in February, said he had accepted a fight against Tyson.

"I did get a phone call with a chance to fight Mike Tyson and I was like, 'What?'" the Brit told BT Sport.

"I had a phone call saying, 'Would you like to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight?' I was like, 'Hell yeah!' I don't think anything materialised out of it to be honest.

"I think he's definitely serious about doing some fights or whatever. He's fought Holyfield twice so they're both old now aren't they?

"I think they're a bit long in the teeth, but then again who am I to say anything, what anybody's capable of after everybody's unbelievable stories. I wouldn't try and kill anybody's dreams of doing anything they want if they're both fit to fight and medically fit then let them do what they've got to do, it's their life not mine."

Former heavyweight champion Tyson last fought professionally in 2005, having lost twice to Holyfield in two epic fights in 1996 and 1997.

The unbeaten Briton was due to face a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder, the man whose WBC heavyweight strap he took in emphatic fashion in February, later this year but plans were put on the backburner due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Talks have since reportedly been taking place between the teams of Fury and domestic rival Anthony Joshua – the WBA, IBF and WBO champion – over a huge undisputed title fight abroad before the end of 2020.

With Joshua's scrap with Kubrat Pulev having also been curtailed, negotiations over such a fight are sure to be wrought with complications.

It remains to be seen what is on the agenda for both Brits but Fury said he had taken a call from MTK, his management company, and that something big is on the horizon.

"We've got some massive news coming soon. Some massive, massive news," Fury said. 

"I was just on the phone to the old MTK and we've got some massive news coming for you all. Very, very soon so keep an eye out for it all."

The heavyweight rivals were expected to meet on December 23 only for Fury’s disappointing performance in a split-decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou last month to force a delay.

Fury’s WBC belt and the WBA, IBF and WBO titles held by Usyk will be on the line with the winner crowned the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.

The 33-year-old looked in tremendous condition at Friday's weigh-in as he tipped the scales at 277 pounds — four pounds heavier than he was in his most recent meeting with Wilder 20 months ago.

Wilder is also at a career-high weight of 238, an increase of seven pounds, but Fury does not believe he will have any problems stopping his American opponent for a second time in a row.

Asked what the advantage is of coming in heavier this time around, Fury said: "It means total obliteration of a dosser! Total annihilation. That is what it means to me.

"Two-hunded-and-seventy-seven pounds... I am going to put him in the royal infirmary after the fight."

The 39-pound difference between the two is the closest across their three fights. 

"I wanted to look tasty and feel sexy," Wilder said of his physique. "I am bench pressing over 350 so I will be able to lift him. We just wanted to have fun in camp, we had a great time. The say you practice for perfect, we practiced for permanent.

"Calmness is the key to the storm. I know when I am not calm my mind is cloudy, when my mind is cloudy it allows you to make bad decisions. 

"When you are calm you are able to make great decisions. I have rejuvenated myself, redemption is upon us and I can't wait to show the world what I am all about." 

This will be the third chapter in a heavyweight rivalry that has produced plenty of drama in the past, both in and out of the ring.

After a contentious split-decision draw in the first meeting back in December 2018, the rematch saw Fury take the judges out of the equation with a dominant performance, forcing a seventh-round stoppage that not only saw Wilder lose the WBC title but also his unbeaten record as a pro.

The trilogy was not seemingly on the cards — or at least not this soon — until the outcome of an arbitration hearing, a judge ruling the reigning champion was contractually obliged to face his former foe again, ending the possibility of a unification showdown with Anthony Joshua.

Fury contracting COVID-19 led to a further delay, scuppering an original July fight date, but, finally, the stage is set in Las Vegas for the pair to meet again.

For Wilder, this is an opportunity to rebuild his reputation. He hopes a new man in his corner can help: Malik Scott once lost to his fellow American in the ring, now he is tasked with formulating a plan to get his old foe back on top.

Scott has certainly talked the talk in the build-up, even predicting his fighter gets the job done inside five rounds after working hard to refine his game.

"He got content with knocking people out with one weapon, which was the right hand," Scott said. 

"What I did was I went to his toolbox and pulled everything out that he does well. Deontay Wilder can do it all. I just pulled a lot of stuff out of him in training camp. I made sure we drilled him with intent."

The development of Wilder, a power hitter whose boxing skills have always been questioned, is just one of the intriguing plot lines going into a contest that should make for absorbing viewing, whatever the final outcome.

TALE OF THE TAPE

TYSON FURY

Age: 33
Height: 6ft 9ins (206cm)
Weight: 277lbs
Reach: 85ins
Professional record: 30-0-1 (21 KOs)
Major career titles: IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO heavyweight

DEONTAY WILDER

Age: 35
Height: 6ft 7ins (201cm)
Weight: 238lbs
Reach: 83ins 
Professional record: 42-1-1 (41 KOs)
Major career titles: WBC heavyweight

The Gypsy King has not fought since successfully defending his belts against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April, where he immediately expressed his intention to retire.

Speculation continued to persist that Fury would return to the ring, with the winner of Anthony Joshua's rematch against Oleksandr Usyk touted as the likely opponent.

On Friday, his 34th birthday, Fury again reiterated his desire to retire and has now vacated one of his heavyweight titles.

"The Ring Magazine championship has always been the holy grail of boxing. They've been fantastic with me and I've always carried that title with pride," he told The Ring Magazine.

"The greatest moment of my career was winning the world championship (by outpointing Wladimir Klitschko) back in 2015.

"There's the great comeback after that with the three [Deontay] Wilder fights. There's been a lot of great highlights in my career – even the Dillian Whyte fight in front of 94,000 at Wembley. It doesn't get much bigger than that. And I went out with a bang."

While it is not the first time that Fury has stated he would retire, he has not previously vacated any heavyweight belts and has made it clear he will not disappear entirely – hinting at a Hollywood appearance.

"It was fun while it lasted. I had a good 14-year career. I actually boxed for 20 years, from 14 to 34 years old," he said.

"I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed the ups and the downs. My career was an Indian summer that just kept giving.

"I've done well out of boxing. The world is open to so many things now. I'm doing a Netflix documentary at the moment.  I'm going to be recording an album soon. Who knows, you might even see me on the silver screen."

Fury still holds the WBC heavyweight title and it is not known whether he will vacate that belt following his announcement.

Fury won a battle of the ages against Wilder to retain his WBC heavyweight championship with a devastating knockout in the 11th round of the blockbuster fight.

The 33-year-old Briton was knocked down twice throughout the slugfest, before triumphing to preserve his unbeaten record.

The triumph is made more remarkable given Fury's father revealed that the 'Gypsy King' had to contend with elbow injuries prior to the Wilder bout, which he has since had surgery on.

"Tyson was very badly injured going into that fight," John Fury told BT Sport. "He was handicapped from the beginning. It wasn't a boxing match was it?"

He continued: "He had to have chromosome [sic, cortisone] injections into both elbows. He's since had an operation, six hours, all day in hospital having them sorted out. He had some bone spurs he had to get removed.

"He said to me afterwards 'I couldn't box, I couldn't work the jab. If I'd missed the jab it would've put me in limp mode and I wouldn't have been able to fight.

"'The pain when throwing the jab was unbearable so I was fighting two people - the pain in my own body and him. All we could do was make it a war and I wanted to win more than he did'."

John added that he told his son after the victory that it was time to retire but expected him to continue fighting until he is 40 years old. Tyson holds a 31-0-1 record, the only draw coming in the first bout against Wilder.

"I said retire," John said. "He's won everything, nothing to prove and has millions of pounds in the bank, he's secure for life, there's more to life than getting your brains rattled.

"But he's his own man, he'll do what he's going to do but for me I said to call it. He's beaten the best man of his era three times, what more can he do?

"Tyson will spend two months at home and want the smell of sweat and leather. He'll be fighting when he is 40, he can't help himself, he's a human pitbull terrier."

Fury was due to defend his WBC belt on February 17 in Saudi Arabia against his Ukrainian rival, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion, in the first undisputed world heavyweight title fight of this century.

But with just 15 days to go until one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Fury’s promoters Queensberry announced their charge had suffered an injury during a sparring session at his Riyadh training camp.

Fury said in a statement: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.

“I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed. I can only apologise to everyone affected.”