Tyson Fury has surprisingly been placed high in the latest heavyweight boxing rankings, even after announcing he was retiring from the sport.
Fury, 36, surprised boxing fans worldwide last month when he declared his fifth retirement from boxing.
Many people doubt the sincerity of Fury’s latest announcement about retiring.
Ring Magazine also seems unconvinced, as they have ranked him surprisingly high in their heavyweight list.
Fury is ranked as the number one heavyweight boxer globally, second only to Oleksandr Usyk, the unified champion.
Notably, Fury is positioned above IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and the recently successful Joseph Parker, who are ranked second and third, respectively.
Agit Kabayel, who achieved a significant victory over Zhilei Zhang recently, is ranked as the fourth heavyweight contender by Ring Magazine.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua completes the top five rankings.
Fury’s high ranking by Ring Magazine happened after a recent phone conversation with Turki Alalshikh, a leading boxing figure in Saudi Arabia, who is eager to organize a fight between Fury and Joshua.
Alalshikh mentioned to The Stomping Ground, “I want Tyson to be Joshua’s next opponent. I have spoken with him, but our conversation was not centered around boxing.”
“I was just checking on his well-being and his family. I believe he might return to boxing. Yes, I think he will, and I hope so.”
Since his retirement announcement in a somewhat unusual Instagram video, Fury has not commented much about a potential return to the ring.
However, Joshua remains hopeful about fighting his longtime rival, telling iFL TV, “I believe a fight with Fury is the best option for me.”
“Some might suggest Joseph Parker, or others, but I think Fury, from a commercial perspective, is a major fight, and it’s also a significant bout in boxing history. So, it makes sense.”
“You could say this fight has been years in the making. But the heavyweight division is currently very exciting.”
“And the reason I still consider it a great fight is because, as I mentioned, Parker’s story is inspiring, showing someone who never gives up.”
“Ultimately, in any fight, there will be a winner and a loser, and there will be a tough battle. But I am confident it won’t be me who loses.”
