Three opponents that make sense for Tyson Fury’s next fight after announcing comeback

With Tyson Fury recently reversing his retirement, the conversation surrounding his next opponent has sparked into life.

While many will point to lucrative bouts with the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Fabio Wardley, the expectation is that he will take a step down in competition for his comeback.

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Turki Alalshikh intends to marinate a summer showdown with Anthony Joshua by arranging warm-up fights for both men.

However, tune-ups have proved costly to Alalshikh’s plans in the past.

In 2024, the Saudi boxing chief thrashed out a deal with Joshua and Deontay Wilder for the pair to meet in March of that year, providing both boxers won their respective fights on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ bill four months prior.

Joshua held up his side of the deal by dispatching Otto Wallin inside the distance, but Wilder couldn’t get the better of Joseph Parker.

The same thing happened when Alalshikh attempted to set up a rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, with Rolly Romero throwing a spanner in the works.

Greater caution is therefore expected to be exercised when it comes to the selection of Fury’s next opponent.

With that in mind, talkSPORT.com has picked three realistic dance partners that fit the criteria.

Arslanbek Makhmudov

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The name swirling around the boxing rumour mill at the moment is Russian slugger Arslanbek Makhmudov, who defeated Dave Allen via unanimous decision in October.

Makhmudov’s intimidating aura and recent high-profile win make him a marketable commodity, while his style complements Fury perfectly.

The 36-year-old carries power in both hands, so Fury will have to keep his wits about him.

However, ‘The Gypsy King’ would almost certainly open as a heavy favourite with the bookies.

Rico Verhoeven

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Long-reigning Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion, Rico Verhoeven, was the frontrunner to face Joshua in his next outing.

However, AJ’s involvement in a tragic car accident in Nigeria, which killed two of his team members, has made the initially targeted February return less likely.

As a result, Alalshikh may look to match Fury against Verhoeven, who has only competed in one professional boxing bout.

Francis Ngannou

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Continuing the trend of boxing novices, a rematch with Francis Ngannou may be an option Alalshikh looks to explore.

Fury was dropped and pushed all the way to the final bell by Ngannou when they locked horns in October 2023.

However, Fury massively underestimated Ngannou and turned up to the fight in poor shape.

If he can blow away Ngannou like Joshua did in 2024, then it would close one of the more uncomfortable chapters in Fury’s career once and for all.