Tyson Fury: Eddie Hearn says boxing heavyweight 'still in his prime' and 2026 comeback to fight in ring good news
Eddie Hearn tells Sky Sports why he welcomes the return of 'The Gypsy King' to the ring in 2026; "Fury looks like he's buzzing at the moment," says Hearn after seeing former heavyweight champion's training videos on social media
Monday 19 January 2026 12:41, UK
Tyson Fury is still in his "prime" and his return to boxing is great for the sport, says Eddie Hearn.
Fury, 37, confirmed at the start of January he will return to fight in 2026 nearly a year after he announced his latest retirement from the ring.
Fury, who has not fought since a second points loss to heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, is first expected to take a warm-up fight before going head to head against one of the other big names in the heavyweight division later in the year.
"It's an interesting one," promoter Hearn told Sky Sports News.
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"I guess on one hand, you want to prepare yourself for a challenge against an elite guy. And on the other hand, you're coming back after a long layoff. You maybe don't want too much of a taxing challenge.
"I know some of the names that are in the mix, and I'll leave that to Turki [Al-Sheikh] and Tyson Fury to mention those guys. We've got guys that would be up for the challenge.
"But, on the whole, great to see him back. He's gone from not really posting on social media to every time I pick up my phone, there's a new Tyson Fury story.
"Boxing can save you at many different stages in your life. I don't think he was at a stage in his life where he needed saving, but you could tell that boxing once saved him, probably many times and, actually, now he looks happier than ever and full of life.
"Even away from boxing, I think physical training is the greatest form of mental help that you can get in so many different situations.
"And I think Fury looks like he's buzzing at the moment. He's over in Thailand, is it? Or wherever he is. He's running every morning.
"He's inspiring me! I look at it, I go, 'good on you'. We've had a lot to say over the years, but I love the fact that he's back in boxing."
Fury, who turns 38 in August, may have not fought for over a year, but Hearn said: "I think he's an incredible fighter. I think he's brilliant for the game. And he can be involved in some huge fights.
"And by the way, he's still in his prime. He lost two very close fights to Oleksandr Usyk It's not like, 'oh, he's finished now'.
"So yeah, great to see him back. It'd be interesting to see who he faces. I think they're talking potentially around April time."
A fight with fellow former world champion Anthony Joshua had appeared to be on the cards for later in 2026 but Joshua is currently taking time away from boxing after his close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Adoyele, died in a fatal car crash in Nigeria last month.
Joshua was also in the car and required hospital treatment for minor injuries before returning to the UK.
Hearn has said Joshua is the "only voice" who can make a decision about his future in the sport.
"At this point, who knows? I think it's not even something to discuss publicly, and even with AJ. So really, what was discussed in the past [about fighting Fury] is kind of irrelevant," said Hearn.
"The key will be, if and when, Anthony chooses to return to boxing. When he does that, or if he does that, we will then start to see what a roadmap looks like. But as I said, at the moment, those conversations are a long way away."
