Tyson Fury returns to boxing for what could be the final run of his illustrious career.
He will face hard-punch contender Arslanbek Mahmudov on April 11 at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mahmudov is an experienced heavyweight with a KO rate of over 90 percent. However, Fury insists he will go into this return fight without a trainer.
“I’m a one-man army. I’m training myself like Clubber Lang,” Fury told Sky Sports. (Clubber Lang is the antagonist in Rocky III.)
Fury has had a successful training partnership with Sugar Hill Steward. With Steward in his corner, Fury defeated Deontay Wilder twice and also defended his title against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora to become world heavyweight champion for the second time.
But in 2024, he lost the WBC belt in an undisputed title fight against Oleksandr Usyk and was unable to get revenge in a rematch.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury says he won’t have a trainer for his upcoming return fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov
Fury retired from active duty early last year, but entered a training camp in Thailand in December in preparation for his return.
He made it clear that he would not be bringing a trainer with him. “Nobody,” Fury insisted. “I’ll find the best one. As long as someone gives me a drink or puts some Vaseline on me between rounds, I’ll be fine.”
“The rest will take care of itself 100 percent.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren discusses Fury’s insistence on training alone for April’s return fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov
Of course, the sport is full of examples of boxers not following the advice of their trainers or working with multiple coaches at the same time. But it’s virtually unheard of for a fighter to compete in a major heavyweight bout without a trainer.
“This could be the end.”
Fury has a new dynamic to the setup. He is at the camp with his sons. “It’s a surreal moment to have the boys training with me there,” Fury said.
“I feel like just the other day I was at that age and I wanted to be a boxer and started my career. Now they’re in that position and they’re training every day and they’re enjoying it as much as I am.”
“I wish them the best of luck and I know that if they can give of themselves and move forward, anything is possible in life, because I’ve already done it and proven that it can be done.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Arslanbek Makhmudov warns Tyson Fury not to ‘take the wrong path’ and avoid any trash talk ahead of April fight
Fury insists his return was motivated by “the love of the sport and the banter that comes with it”.
He added: “I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing in my spare time since I retired. I spent a lot of time filming two biographical documentaries about my life for Netflix, then I starred in the second season of the reality show At Home with the Furies, then I captained England for UNICEF, then I traveled on private jets and yachts, went on family holidays and went to nice restaurants. I’m having fun.”
“But what I saw was that boxing would die without me. That’s why I came back, to make boxing great again.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tyson Fury playfully tickles Arslanbek Makhmudov in their showdown ahead of their highly anticipated fight in April
But with Tyson Fury, anything is always possible. Ahead of him is a possible fight with Usyk, the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, or ultimately Anthony Joshua.
But Fury has warned against taking anything for granted, and there is even the possibility that he may choose to walk away from the sport again.
“I can only focus on the person I’m fighting, which is Arslanbek Makhmudov. That’s what I have to do,” he said.
“We’ve got to get rid of him, we’ve got to beat him. After that, who knows? That might be the end. I might retire again.”
