Tyson Fury has confirmed he will return to the boxing ring in 2026, just 12 months after stepping away from the sport, but the long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua now feels further away than ever.
The former heavyweight champion, 37, retired last January following his second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk, a narrow and gruelling contest that appeared to close the door on his career.
Yet over the festive period, familiar signs of restlessness emerged. Training clips surfaced on social media and, on Sunday, Fury made his intentions clear.
“2026 is that year. Return of the Mac,” he wrote on Instagram, confirming he plans to fight again.
For years, Fury versus Joshua has been the fight British boxing could not quite deliver.
Talks had resumed recently, with optimism from both camps that the two heavyweights might finally meet later this year. That momentum, however, was abruptly halted by tragedy.
On Monday, December 29, Joshua survived a horrific car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and team members, strength coach Sina Ghami and personal trainer Latif Ayodele.
The 36-year-old is believed to have avoided more serious injury after swapping seats shortly before the collision, a decision that likely saved his life.
The incident has cast serious doubt over Joshua’s immediate future in the sport. While he has since returned to the UK and is recovering physically, the mental toll remains unknown.
“This is an awful time for everyone involved,” Fury’s promoter Frank Warren told ITV News. “Physically, hopefully AJ has come out of it well. But mentally is another issue. I don’t even know if he’ll have the appetite to fight again.”
Fury also paid tribute to Ghami and Ayodele, offering condolences to their families. Joshua later shared a photo with his family in remembrance, captioned simply: “My Brother’s Keeper.”
Before the crash, it felt as though the long-running rivalry was finally edging towards a conclusion.
Now, that question feels secondary, and very rightfully so.
Fury is already back in training and exploring alternative opponents, while Joshua grieves privately, far from negotiations and headlines.
There may always be a gap in British heavyweight history if these two never meet.
But for now, boxing can wait. Anthony Joshua’s health and well-being matter far more than any fight ever could.
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