"I don't believe it" - Johnny Nelson on Tyson Fury's retirement claims
Sky Sports pundit and former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson has expressed his disbelief over Tyson Fury's recent retirement claims.
Fury, who just beat Dillian Whyte by a sixth-round knockout in April, claimed that he would retire after promising it to his wife Paris. The heavyweight has stated on multiple occasions that he is going to retire, but despite this, he is yet to have a meeting with the WBC to confirm it.
The longest-ever reigning cruiserweight world champion believes that Fury is currently the 'top dog' in the heavyweight division. Nelson was asked by iFL TV for his thoughts on Tyson Fury's retirement claims, to which he replied:
"He [Fury] loves boxing, he’s a fighting man, it’s in his blood. He's told us that for years and years. Do you think it's going to be easy for him to walk away? He don't need the dollars, quite clearly, but do you think it's going to be easy for him to say, 'Nah, I'm done'? I don't believe it. Do not believe it."
Nelson was then asked if fans would rather see Fury fight Anthony Joshua instead of fighting Usyk if he beats 'AJ', and his response was:
"Without a doubt, without a doubt. You've got two Brits fighting and it divides a nation, it divides so much opinion. You've got raw hardcore fans and you've got people who are casual fans. That's a fight that people would want to see without a doubt. In the boxing world, you want to establish top dogs. Top dog is Tyson Fury, he's proved that."
With 'The Gypsy King' potentially hanging up his gloves, it will look to leave a gaping hole in the heavyweight division. However, if Nelson's beliefs are correct, there could be some mega fights in the future.
The giant domestic bout between Joshua and Fury is the most talked about rivalry in the whole weight class. If Joshua passes his next challenge against Usyk, there's a possibility that Tyson Fury could be convinced back into the ring.
Watch Nelson's full interview below:
Would Tyson Fury come out of retirement for Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk?
Tyson Fury is currently regarded as the greatest heavyweight of the era by most boxing fans. 'The Gypsy King' has defeated the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder in convincing fashion.
Despite this, there are still two huge names in the division that many would suggest Tyson Fury would have to beat to be regarded as the greatest of the era - Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk is currently the pound-for-pound king, as he has made his way into the heavyweight division and defeated 'AJ' to become the Unified World Champion. But regardless of belts and records, Joshua vs. Fury is still the much preferred heavyweight matchup.
With the rematch between the Ukrainian and Joshua looking set to be this summer, everybody will want to see Fury take on the winner. The unification fight would settle any debate about who the best heavyweight in the world is.
Watch the full fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk below: