Tyson Fury’s long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua could be jeopardised by opposition from his closest family members, according to promoter Frank Warren, who believes the heavyweight’s wife and father could yet prevent the fight from ever taking place.
The 37-year-old Gypsy King, who announced his retirement after losing to Oleksandr Usyk last December, has recently hinted at a possible comeback — teasing fans with talk of one final, blockbuster showdown against Joshua before calling time on his career for good.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has been openly optimistic about the prospect, even suggesting next summer as a potential date for the all-British bout that boxing fans have craved for nearly a decade.
Yet Warren, who has worked alongside Fury throughout his career, believes that family influence could derail the plans despite the financial lure of what would be one of the biggest events in sporting history.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Warren said: “It will come down to the money and what is available.
“We talk, but Tyson has been busy this year with Netflix and other projects.
“If the right money is there, I suspect we will see the Joshua fight. Whoever Tyson fights will be a big fight.”
Frank Warren remains hopeful Tyson Fury will return to the ring
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However, he warned that outside pressures could complicate any negotiations.
He added: “For one thing, though, we must remember that you can’t make someone fight. His wife, Paris, and his dad, John, don’t want him to fight.”
Warren went on to draw comparisons with other heavyweight bouts that never materialised or came too late to capture their full spectacle.
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Tyson Fury retired from boxing in January 2025
| PA“It has happened before. We never got to see Lennox Lewis against Riddick Bowe, and Mike Tyson against Lewis arguably came ten years too late,” he continued.
“I’m sure they will do it next year. I think we’ll see Tyson back in 2026. And if it does happen, it would fill out Wembley four times in a heartbeat.”
Paris Fury, who shares seven children with the former world champion, has made no secret of her unease about her husband’s brutal profession.
Throughout his career, she has pleaded for him to walk away from the ring while he still can.
In a 2020 interview with The Mirror, she said: “I’d like him to beat Anthony Joshua and then stop. He’s in the ring with supreme boxers and it is a dangerous sport.
“We both know the risks. I know one shot can change everything.
Paris Fury doesn't want her husband, Tyson Fury, to make a boxing comeback
| PA“If they put all the belts on the line it would be such an amazing fight. I’d like him to take that one fight and retire undefeated.
“He can’t go on forever. I wouldn’t like to see him continue for too long and get hurt.”
Despite those pleas, Fury pushed on — defeating Deontay Wilder in their 2020 rematch, meeting the American again in 2021, and later facing Derek Chisora, Francis Ngannou, and Usyk twice.
Fury’s father, John, has also found himself at the centre of controversy.
He was banned from his son’s corner for the rematch with Usyk after being criticised for erratic behaviour during the build-up to the first fight. The 60-year-old was even filmed headbutting a member of Usyk’s team, leaving himself bloodied and drawing condemnation from fans.
Fury, meanwhile, proceeded to lose twice to his Ukrainian rival before stepping away from the ring. Whether he decides to make a sensational return, as things stand, remains to be seen.