Tyson Fury’s comeback is a genuine test of much more than his boxing ability

On Saturday night under the stars in north London, Tyson Fury returns to the ring after a long absence and joins the heavyweight season. He is back, and now he has to prove he is still the No 1 attraction. For his return, Fury has picked Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which was the venue for his last fight in the UK back in 2022, when he beat Derek Chisora for the third time.

Fury has only fought in the UK twice in the last eight years; all his major fights during that time have been in Las Vegas, Riyadh and Los Angeles. This Saturday’s fight is a genuine test of his pulling power , and Makhmudov is a real threat to Fury . Tyson Fury at the launch press conference for his fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov (Getty Images) The trilogy with Deontay Wilder concluded over four years ago, the last Oleksandr Usyk fight was in December of 2024, and since then Fury has maintained his profile with television shows , a retirement, and the promise of a fight with his long-standing rival, Anthony Joshua .

This Saturday will be a real test of his appeal – even with Netflix’s involvement and the lack of a pay-per-view approach – and with 67,000 seats available, it will be hard to disguise a failure. Since Fury last fought, the second points loss to Usyk at the end of 2024, the heavyweight division has survived and thrived. Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last summer, Fabio Wardley won a version of the world title with a stunning stoppage of Joseph Parker, and the rise of Moses Itauma at just 21 has been inspiring.

Furthermore, next month Wardley defends against Dubois in a fight of equal parts jeopardy and violence. Fury is now an addition, no longer the king of the division. “I’m back for my crown,” insisted Fury a few weeks ago, and he could have been talking about far more than just the trinket belts that both Usyk and Wardley own.