Tyson Fury reportedly has a time frame and site for his return to the ring. And his list of potential opponents is short.
The heavyweight titleholder’s next fight will take place in July at Wembley Stadium in London, sources told ESPN. The stadium is on hold for July 15 and 22.
The presumptive opponent is Andy Ruiz Jr., a capable all-around fighter who delivered a tremendous upset when he stopped then-beltholder Anthony Joshua in 2019.
The Return of The King! MASSIVE NEWS IMMINENT ‼️⚔️👑 🥊 #Boxing pic.twitter.com/327rEguO7E
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) April 20, 2023
However, Zhilei Zhang, who stunned the boxing world by knocking out unbeaten contender Joe Joyce in six rounds on April 15, also is being considered.
Joyce could exercise his right to a rematch with Zhang, which would work in Ruiz’s favor. Joyce evidently hasn’t made that decision.
Fury said on Twitter this week that an announcement is imminent but provided no details.
“I’ve got some massive, massive news coming, an imminent fight date, an absolutely monstrous fight,” he said. “Stayed tuned because the WBC heavyweight king is back in action coming very, very soon.”
Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) last fought in December, when he stopped Derek Chisora in 10 rounds.
He then entered negotiations to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship in April. However, the talks broke down over the purse split for a rematch.
Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) lost his titles by a decision in a rematch with Joshua but has won his two fights since, decisions over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz.
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