Boxing great Mike Tyson has urged Tyson Fury not to quit the sport amid rumors that the Brit could retire following his win over Deontay Wilder.
Settling their grudge series for once and for all, the Gypsy King knocked out Wilder in the 11th round of their Las Vegas fight earlier this month to retain the WBC and The Ring belts.
With a mandatory defense against fellow Brit Dillian Whyte potentially set to be ordered for early next year, a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk, after the Ukrainian stripped Anthony Joshua of the other straps in the division, appears to be the only other creditable challenge out there for Fury.
Fellow former champion and Mancunian Ricky Hatton has said he hopes Fury will turn his back on their sport, while the fighter's wife, Paris, has said she expects him to hang up his gloves in the next couple of years.
Iron Mike, though, has urged Fury to "keep on winning brother, keep on winning."
"He’s the lineal champion. He’s the man who beat the man," the former heavyweight king told Reuters.
"He is heavyweight boxing, period. He is, nobody else. Ask anybody except for Usyk, who is the heavyweight champion? Usyk might even say it’s Fury."
Wilder's team have rushed to insist the American will fight on despite the brutal nature of his courageous defeat – and Tyson also endorsed that development.
Also on rt.com ‘He claims he’s the king of kings’: Usyk talks up Fury megabout as Ukrainian star says he can dethrone rival heavyweight champ"Keep fighting, make money, stack your money up, and call it a day," he stated.
In the meantime, Fury is embarking on a homecoming UK tour that will see him "share all the stories and journey back to the top".
His half-brother, Tommy, already knows his next opponent: months of back-and-forth bickering on social media and in person has at long last seen a scrap against YouTube prankster-turned-boxer Jake Paul announced for the prospect.
"It’s finally official," wrote Paul on Instagram. "Timothy had no choice but to sign the contract so he could finally pay his bar tabs, afford a shirt for the club, and stop living off [girlfriend] Molly [Mae Hague].
"December 18th in Tampa Bay, I'm changing this w*nker's name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with [NFL quarterback great] Tom Brady.
"Pucker up, Timmy... it’s time to kiss your last name and your family’s boxing legacy goodbye. Easy money lineup here, aye? One will fall."
Announcing the battle of unbeaten pretenders himself, Tommy curtly vowed on Instagram: "Time to do what should’ve been done to you a long time ago... you’re getting knocked spark out."
Referring to Paul's previous mismatches with ex-NBA star Nate Robinson and former UFC fighter Ben Askren, he added in a statement: "Jake Paul is about to learn a serious life lesson. This is my world and he doesn’t belong here.
"I’m not one of these MMA men or basketball players. I have been boxing my whole life.
"On December 18th, I will show the world the difference between a YouTuber and a real fighting man."
Reception to the news was mixed. "Honestly, who cares?" one reader asked on social media.
"I disagree," came a reply to that statement. "Either one of these two getting knocked out would be hilarious."
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