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Usyk vs Fury 2: Retirement? The Anthony Joshua fight? What would happen if Tyson Fury loses to Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury rematch for the unified world heavyweight championship on Saturday; Fury says retirement is "for the lame" as he vows to fight on after this fight; the Usyk vs Fury 2 Riyadh Season event will be live on Sky Sports Box Office

John Dennen

Sports journalist

Thursday 19 December 2024 06:11, UK

Tyson Fury has vowed to continue fighting after Saturday's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury has banished thoughts of retirement, telling Sky Sports: "I'm not interested in all that stuff. That stuff's for the lame! I'm ready for action. Guaranteed satisfaction.

"I do enjoy being in the ring and I enjoy just being around the fight week and I enjoy all of it. It's all very good stuff for me. I love every minute of it. Hence the reason I'm still doing it at 36 years old."

He is full of confidence that he will defeat Usyk when they fight on the Riyadh Season event, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Fury has confined himself to a training camp in Malta in the weeks building up to this rematch, reducing the size of his support team, not even speaking to his own wife, so focused have his preparations been.

Days away from the contest, he is convinced he has done everything he needs to in order to beat Usyk, win the WBO, WBA and WBC titles and become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

"I'm in very good spirits and I'm in beast mode ready to do the job," Fury insisted.

"It's been good. It's been a tough camp, a tough, hard training camp. I've left no stones unturned and I'm really ready for Saturday night. Can't wait."

Promoter Frank Warren revealed that if Usyk loses this rematch, he is committed to a third bout with the Briton.

"If Tyson wins, it's contracted," Warren said of the trilogy fight. "Unless anybody retires.

"If he doesn't, then Usyk will have the belts and what a great unification that would be between him and Daniel [Dubois, the IBF champion]."

But defeat could still lead Fury to a major fight with his British rival Anthony Joshua, who suffered a crushing fifth-round defeat to Dubois in September.

"It's up to him. Who knows what he wants to do? If he wants to fight Joshua, if it's there, it's there. If it's not it's not," Warren said.

"After the last fight, people would still buy into it, there's no doubt about it."

Fury did feel some sympathy for Joshua after that knockout loss. "I did feel a little bit sorry for him," he told Sky Sports.

"But it's boxing. I suppose you know what you're getting yourself into before you go into the game. You know what you're doing."

But that pity is unlikely to dissuade him ultimately from taking the Joshua fight in future. "I'm motivated by the big pay cheques and the big crowds and the big events," he said.

"And all the time that that's happening, I suppose I will be continuing to do what I need to do as well."

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury's huge heavyweight rematch will be live on Saturday December 21 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!