Tyson Fury considered retirement but is willing to make a title defence against Dillian Whyte, says the champion’s cousin Andy Lee.
Fury made his first ever world title defence in October when he stopped Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. He was allowed a month to set up a fight with IBF, WBA and WBO beltholder Oleksandr Usyk, but he must first take on Anthony Joshua in a rematch in early 2022.
Until that is resolved that leaves Fury exposed to an order from the WBC to face interim champion Whyte, who won his belt back from Alexander Povetkin earlier in the year. He had been due to fight Otto Wallin at the end of October, but a shoulder injury put paid to the event.
Tyson Fury is believed to have considered retiring from the sport after the fight, and speaking to talkSPORT, Lee explained that had been a possibility, saying: “Well I arrived in Morecambe a few weeks ago, the first day we went out for a coffee and I said, ‘What do you do? Do you retire, do you hang them up?’
“He said, ‘Well, I’m thinking that way.’ And then he said, ‘On the other hand, what else am I going to do with my life?’
“He loves to train, he loves to fight and although there are no challenges out there for him, he can still take a lot of pleasure in cleaning out the division and beating up these other guys and also earn a hell of a lot of money while doing it.
“He likes the Dillian Whyte fight; he is enthused by that, that’s what he is talking about to me so I can see that being the next one.”
Lee explained that a chance of opponent after three fights with Wilder could spark a new interest in the champion.
“I think even with the third Wilder fight there’s a danger of, not complacency, but just being comfortable,” he said.
“Dillian Whyte and Tyson sparred a lot of rounds in the past, so they know each other. Although both fighters would have improved, I just feel Tyson has that mental edge.
“I feel he has a mental edge over everybody. But that is the only fear I would have, not complacency, but just a bit of comfortableness and not having that element of fear, which I think is always a good thing going into a fight.”