Tyson Fury has now made his return to the Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.
'The Gypsy King' is fresh off his trilogy bout with Derek Chisora earlier this month. In their prior two outings, 'Del Boy' was dominated, leading to many fans being disappointed at the announcement of their third fight.
In the trilogy, the result wasn't much different. While Chisora once again showed heart, he was battered en route to a 10th-round knockout loss. With that, the WBC Heavyweight Champion has retained his title in style.
Following the victory, Fury had a staredown with fellow champion Oleksandr Usyk. 'The Cat' was in talks to face the British star on that December date but was forced to decline due to injuries suffered in his win over Anthony Joshua in August.
As of now, the pair are aiming to fight next year. Whenever it happens, the winner will be crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in over two decades.
Furthermore, the battle will also be over Ring Magazine's number one spot. Tyson Fury exited the rankings earlier this year after announcing his retirement. With the return to the ring against Chisora, he returned to the rankings just one spot behind Usyk.
Will Tyson Fury fight Oleksandr Usyk next?
Tyson Fury was expected to face Oleksandr Usyk early next year, but that's now in danger.
'The Gypsy King' and 'The Cat' were first in discussions to face off this month, but the latter was forced to decline due to injury. However, the two sides remained in talks before that initial offer and the pair are hoping to face off next year.
In fact, Usyk's manager revealed that the pair had already nearly finalized a date for early next year. According to the Ukrainian, the matchup is being aimed for February or March in the Middle East.
Sadly, those plans might have to wait. Earlier this week, the WBA ordered Oleksandr Usyk to face Daniel Dubois next. 'Dynamite' is coming off a victory over Kevin Larena earlier this month, on the undercard of Fury's trilogy with Chisora.
As of now, there's been no date targeted for the bout, mainly because the order doesn't mean that Fury vs. Usyk won't happen next. There's a good possibility that the Ukrainian could just ask for an extension to face his fellow champion. Furthermore, Dubois himself could decline the title fight, but that's unlikely.
Lastly, Oleksandr Usyk could vacate his WBA heavyweight title, but that too is unlikely.