Tyson Fury to pay tribute to Ricky Hatton in comeback boxing fight

Jack Otway
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:39:42 +0000

Tyson Fury makes his long-awaited return to the ring tomorrow at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he will face dangerous Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov.

The 37-year-old will step through the ropes wearing specially designed boots paying tribute to his late friend Ricky Hatton, the beloved former champion who passed away aged 46.

The footwear features Hatton's logo alongside blue detailing intended to promote mental health awareness.

Fans have praised the gesture on social media, with one writing on X: "Tyson Fury this is a class act."

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Another commented: "Absolute class from the Gypsy King honouring Ricky like this is proper respect."

Makhmudov brings a formidable record to north London, boasting 21 victories against just two defeats, with an astonishing 19 of those wins coming via knockout.

British heavyweight Dave Allen has previously admitted to being "s*** scared" of the powerful Russian.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tyson Fury will wear custom boots honoring the late Ricky Hatton in his fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov in Tottenham.

Fury shared a close friendship with Hatton before his death and the boots feature Hatton's logo, with blue accents promoting mental health… pic.twitter.com/rLAfwjD4lV
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) April 10, 2026

The bout marks Fury's first fight since suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, losses that ended his reign at the top of the heavyweight division.

During the pre-fight press conference, Makhmudov demonstrated his considerable strength by physically lifting Fury off the ground during their face-off, offering the Gypsy King an early preview of what awaits him in the ring.

Fury is now setting his sights on a blockbuster domestic showdown with Anthony Joshua, a fight that would captivate British boxing fans.

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The Mancunian has long used fashion to make statements, and his appearance at the recent press conference was no exception, wearing a striking suit reminiscent of the outfit he donned at Hatton's funeral at Manchester Cathedral in October 2025.

At that service for the Wythenshawe-born legend, Fury arrived in a bold suit featuring artwork of himself seated on a throne wearing a crown, along with images from his wedding to wife Paris.

It's an open secret that Paris has been opposed to her husband returning to the sport.

Speaking as Fury's comeback looms, she admitted that convincing him to stay retired was pointless because he doesn't have any other hobbies.

"I’m happy for him. It’s what he wanted, and I knew it’s what he wanted," she said.

"All this time, when he kept saying he was out the ring, ‘I’m out the ring, I’m not boxing, I’m not boxing’ – I knew in the back of my mind that wouldn’t be true."

She added: "I kept suggesting to him, ‘why don’t you train people as a boxer? Why don’t you get involved in something that you enjoy?’

"He doesn’t have any hobbies. And it’s hard to take away someone’s life’s passion, and I couldn’t be the one to do it.

"I said to him so many times like, ‘oh, I wish you’d stop boxing now, you’ve done everything you need to do. You don’t need to do it anymore’.

"But he felt that itch, and he still wants to do it. So I’m not going to deny him that dream. He couldn’t find anything else good.

"No matter what we did, we couldn’t find him something he enjoyed. It’s hard. It’s hard work, a one-track mind with him."