Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh lit a fresh fuse under the heavyweight division, announcing that Tyson Fury has pledged to return in 2026 for a third clash with Oleksandr Usyk. “The Gypsy King will be back!!! We have a rabbit to hunt,” the General Entertainment Authority chairman declared on social media, reviving Fury’s notorious pre-fight taunt of the Ukrainian southpaw.
Fury, beaten twice by Usyk in Riyadh last year, had insisted he would stay retired unless granted a trilogy bout to avenge what he still calls a robbery in the rematch. Alalshikh’s revelation suggests that bout will headline a future Riyadh Season card, though the Briton publicly prefers England for “a fair fight and a fair result.” Venue politics aside, the promise means boxing’s biggest rivalry will not die on the scorecards of 2024.
Usyk, meanwhile, has business first: a July 19 Wembley Stadium rematch with Daniel Dubois for all the heavyweight marbles. Should the Ukrainian prevail, he would carry the undisputed title and even more negotiating power into talks for Fury III.
For Fury, the pathway back is clear: one night, one nemesis, one more chance to prove the rabbit can still be caught.
Image Credit: Sky Sports