Tyson Fury says he 'could beat Anthony Joshua tomorrow' after announcing return

Tyson Fury declared himself capable of beating Anthony Joshua “tomorrow”, revealed a desire to box on for another 10 years and described his tenure as the planet’s heavyweight champion as like Christmas every day. It is almost as if he has never been away.

The erudite and undefeated former three-belt world champion can talk like few other active fighters when in the mood and he found his groove on Thursday when his long-awaited comeback was officially announced at a London press conference.

The 29-year-old has not boxed since November 2015 when he dethroned Ukraine’s ring icon Wladimir Klitschko with one of the best British overseas performances of his generation. But the victory was the prelude to a downward spiral of drink, drugs and depression which left him on the brink of suicide.

The titles claimed that night were lost over the next 10 months and, as it happens, all three have since been claimed by Boxing’s latest poster boy Anthony Joshua, who is now vying to become the first man in history to hold all four major heavyweight belts at once.

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Unsurprisingly, the Londoner was never far from Fury's thoughts as he reflected on the past and looked ahead to a boxing future which begins against an as-yet unnamed opponent at the Manchester Arena on 9 June.

His new promoter Frank Warren, with whom he has penned a 'multi-fight deal', insists there is no rush back to the top and believes Fury will be ready for a world title shot in three or four fights time.

But Fury, never one to throw caution to the wind outside the ring, said: “I'm ready...I'm ready now.

“I could beat Anthony Joshua tomorrow night. I could beat AJ, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker. I could beat them all and I'm ready to fight.

“I don't see it being a hard fight to make because I've made it very easy. I think it's a fight that has to happen. It's the biggest fight ever in British history.

“If I could fight for a world title tomorrow I would. I told Frank many times to get AJ for the comeback. I don't rate him at all against me. I just think I've got his number because my style is all wrong for him.

“Within a couple of fights I will have won the world title back, 100 per cent. I'm looking to win the world title back by the end of this year.

“I am the lineal heavyweight champion which goes back to John L Sullivan. I carry the lineage of the division and until someone beats me then they can't take it. Being the lineal champion is better than having any alphabetical title.

“I know nobody can beat me and I'm 29, not 49. I've got another 10 years left in me.”

When asked how long it may take him to get back to the physical and mental peak which helped him topple Klitschko, Fury added: “By the 9th of June. I'll be better. I have no need to lie, I'm better now than I was before, a lot better.”

At one point it seemed fanciful that Fury would ever fight again given the apparent psychological turmoil which seemed to envelope him, worrying his close friends and family, not to mention the British Boxing Board of Control.

But Fury says it was only boxing that could really save him from the despair, despite conceding that being heavyweight king came with a crown of thorns.

“I feel comfortable boxing, I feel comfortable with a structured routine,” he said.

“Anybody will tell you, if they are in a routine then it runs smoothly but if it's Christmas day every day of the year, 365 days in a row, it gets a bit boring.

“Is that what being world heavyweight champion is like? That's what it's like when you're a bad man like me.

“When you can go out and do what you want, when you want, eat what you want, drink what you want, nothing is a treat anymore. That's how it was really.

“When you dream a dream and the dream becomes reality then it's like 'OK, what's next?' When you're living the dream every day, what do you do? It's not a dream anymore so you have to figure out a new dream.

“You have to go back to the drawing board, chop everything down and live the dream again – that's what I'm doing now.

“This is for my personal self. Before it was about winning belts and making money, but now it's about me. It's a bit selfish but I want to prove to myself I can go through all those things but come back and fight again.”

Fury, who in December accepted a two-year backdated ban from UKAD, has now also been licensed to box by the Board after shedding nearly 10st in weight over the past year or so.

Looking close to his old fighting weight in a tailored burgundy blazer, Fury could not be further from the morbidly obese heavyweight who set his mind on making a comeback last year.

“You know I actually enjoyed being fat,” he added. “I've got this big chain, a big diamond cross, which I've had a few years. I used to put it on and think 'yeah, I'm the real Big Papa now'.

“I used to go out in this big Jeep with a big chain on and no shirt, fat as anything. Did it affect my confidence? No. Did it heck. I enjoyed being fat, it was great, it was a great part of my life and hopefully I go fat again one day.

“But for now I've got work to do.”