Andre Ward has welcomed the return of Tyson Fury but only on one condition, while hoping that the Anthony Joshua fight can eventually materialise.
It was confirmed on Wednesday that ‘The Gypsy King’ will face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11, unexpectedly ending his year-long retirement after releasing a series of training clips on social media.
While a venue is yet to be revealed, the heavyweight contest is set to take place in the UK and will be streamed live on Netflix, representing Fury’s first fight with the major platform.
The 37-year-old’s last outing saw him suffer a second points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024, which followed his split decision loss to the masterful Ukrainian earlier that year.
Makhmudov, meanwhile, comes off a points victory over Dave Allen but has suffered previous stoppage defeats to Agit Kabayel, the WBC interim champion, and sturdy contender Guido Vianello.
Yet despite that, the 6ft 6in Russian represents a solid opponent who, perhaps most crucially, has been far more active, having collected two convincing wins last year.
Beyond this next fight, though, many are hoping for Fury to collide with Joshua, who has just paid tribute to his two friends who tragically lost their lives in Nigeria.
Speaking with Froch On Fighting, Hall of Famer Ward highlighted the potential ‘AJ’ fight while, at the same time, acknowledging that Fury must first demonstrate his motivation in the sport.
“I like the AJ and Fury fight but, you know, AJ’s dealing with some personal stuff.
“Fury, if he’s not motivated, I don’t want to see him back. We won’t know that until we see on fight night. If he’s motivated, why not?
“Fury’s fought up and down to the level of competition throughout the years, so he needs a threat, he needs a test, because, when he feels like he’s not threatened, he doesn’t always prepare right.”
While Makhmudov seems like a genuine threat based on his appearance and physical attributes, many feel that, stylistically, this is a match made in heaven for Fury.
