TYSON FURY could decide to retire before his blockbuster bout with Oleksandr Usyk, according to former boxer George Groves.
The two heavyweights are set to come face to face in a historic four-belt unification fight.
GettyTyson Fury could retire from boxing[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyFormer middleweight champion George Groves is not convinced he will fight Usyk[/caption]
A Saudi showdown was planned for December 23, but that was postponed following Fury’s controversial split-decision win over boxing novice Francis Ngannou.
The Gypsy King initially expected to breeze through the 10-round bout, but he suffered a huge shock after being dropped in the third round.
Fury was set to officially announce plans to face Usyk – who was sat ringside – after the fight.
However, he immediately dismissed the prospect of jumping straight back into a training camp.
And for that reason, the heavyweight clash was postponed for another two months.
It is now expected to take place in February, but former WBA super-middleweight champion Groves is not sure if the Gypsy King will be up for the challenge.
Speaking to Boxing King Media, Goves said: “He might retire. It might be the last time we see him. It’s not a dig.
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GettyFury was due to fight Oleksandr Usyk in December[/caption]
“It makes no sense that he has a life and death fight with a cage fighter, who has been boxing for weeks, and that he had to get up off of the floor to win.
“He clearly wasn’t prepared and maybe he’d done a bit of training, but he hadn’t done any real training, any competitive training, his mindset was not there.
“People have said time and time again that when people doubt Fury, that’s when he rises to the occasion and he has proven that in the past.”
“But does he really want to do that now, at thirty-five-years-old with all the things that he has achieved?”
Groves also told talkSPORT that he believes Fury is more likely to fight Ngannou again rather than Usyk.
The Londoner said: “He has got this fight looming now with Oleksandr Usyk, who I believe beats him and I thought that before seeing him fight Ngannou the other week.
“It will be major prize money and massive kudos for beating that guy [Usyk], but does that outweigh the risk of losing to him and living with that after?
“I think that we are much more likely to see an Ngannou rematch, where Fury has done a bit more training than a last-man-standing fight against Usyk.”
Both Fury and Usyk are undefeated approaching the highly-anticipated fight.
Fury has won 34 of his 35 bouts so far, drawing just once against Deontay Wilder.
Meanwhile, Usyk has won all 21 of his career fights.