Tyson Fury says Anthony Joshua car crash prompted his return to ring
By George Sessions, Press Association
Tyson Fury has revealed the deaths of two of long-time rival Anthony Joshua’s friends in a car crash in December was the catalyst for his return to boxing.
Fury will step back into the ring on April 11 after a 15-month absence to face Russian-born heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov in a bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which will be broadcast live on Netflix.
Former two-time world heavyweight champion Fury retired after his second successive loss to Oleksandr Usyk at the end of 2024 and went a calendar year without a fight before announcing his latest comeback on January 4.
The announcement came a week after compatriot Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria which killed his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.
Any plans for Fury and Joshua to finally fight in 2026 have since been put on the back burner, but Fury did acknowledge the part played by his old rival in his latest comeback.
“Tomorrow might not ever come and I suppose the biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua,” Fury said at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I was on holiday with my family in Thailand for Christmas just to get away from the rain. I was sick of the rain, it was depressing me and then I hear all about the bad news that’s gone on and I thought, ‘You know what, life is very, very short and very precious and very fragile and anything can happen at any given moment’.
“You should never put things off until tomorrow, or next year, or next week because tomorrow is not promised to nobody.
“The Bible says tomorrow is not a gift, tomorrow ain’t promised, tomorrow is a mystery so we have to live for today.
“Me living for that day, I made my mind up there and then I was going to come back to boxing because it’s something I love, I am passionate about and I have always been in love with. There is no tomorrow so that’s why I am back today.”
Fury’s father John initially stole the show at the Premier League ground after he launched an expletive-laden rant at pundit Carl Froch.
Proceedings at Tottenham started with both Fury’s manager Spencer Brown and Queensberry promoter Frank Warren stating their belief the 37-year-old will become world heavyweight champion for a third time.
Yet, Fury insisted: “The truth of the matter is I came back for one reason only and that’s to make boxing great again.
“Since I’ve retired for the fifth time over a year ago, boxing for me has gone on a downward slope and it’s become quite boring.
“Boxing is at it’s maximum potential when Tyson Fury is actively fighting. I didn’t say that, AI, the cleverest thing on earth said that, ChatGPT, so believe it! I am coming back to make boxing great again.”
Fury’s opponent Makhmudov was predictably circumspect at Monday’s launch press conference, but detailed a meeting with Fury around 2017.
“Yes, this time, it was in Canada and I wasn’t even a pro boxer,” Makmudov explained.
“At this time Tyson was already world champion. Yes, he is a legend like a big name in heavyweight boxing, but I come here to make my legacy and my story.
“I believe when we took a picture almost 10 years ago, it was a signal from God that this day will happen one day and one day you will meet this guy and beat him. That is my goal and I believe God prepared me for this.”
