A year away from the ring hasn’t reversed any of that. That made it worse. Fury looks older now. More worn. Less solid. The decline that was already visible in 2024 only deepened.
“He’s still in his prime. He lost two very close fights against Oleksandr Usyk. It’s not like, ‘Oh, he’s done now,'” Hearn said. Sky Sports. “It will be interesting to see who he faces. I think they may be talking around April time.”
Hearn’s faith is easy to understand. He still hopes to land a fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua, a match he has been chasing for more than a decade. That fight only works if Fury can still be sold as dangerous and relevant. Selling him as a fade doesn’t move tickets.
Plans now call for Fury to return in early 2026 with a rematch. At this stage of his career, he cannot afford to lose or look poor. A bad night immediately ends the Joshua conversation and exposes the gap between the story being told and the fighter actually showing up.
Hearn continues to sell the idea of ​​Tyson Fury as a dominant force. The ring has been saying something else for a long time.
The problem is that Fury’s career record does not support the myth perpetuated around him. His decisive victory came in 2015 against a 39-year-old Wladimir Klitschko, a performance that earned Fury a fortune and instant stature. What followed was not dominance. It was a disappearance. Fury ballooned in weight, left the sport and lived off that single night for years.
When he returned, the resume padding began. Wins over limited opposition rebuilt momentum before defeating Deontay Wilder, a champion with power but deep technical flaws. That rivalry carried Fury commercially, but it didn’t prove sustained greatness. Since then, his notable wins have come against shopworn opponents such as Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora. Recognizable names. Not the elite.
Hearn can continue to sell a version of Fury that once existed. The problem is that the sport has already moved on, even if the marketing has not.
