TYSON FURY has been given a shock spot in the latest heavyweight rankings, despite retiring from boxing.
Fury, 36, stunned fight fans all over the world last month by announcing his fifth retirement from the sport.
Many, however, aren’t buying the Wythenshawe warrior’s latest hanging up of the gloves.
And neither are The Ring Magazine, who have given him a shock spot in their heavyweight rankings.
Fury has been named the No1-ranked heavyweight on the planet behind unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury is stunningly ahead of IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and the resurgent Joseph Parker, who are second and third in the list respectively.
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Agit Kabayel – who stunned Zhilei Zhang last weekend – is the No.4-ranked heavyweight contender in the Ring’s rankings.
And former two-time heavyweight king Anthony Joshua rounds out the top five.
Fury’s placing atop of the Ring’s heavyweight rankings comes after a recent phone call with Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh, who is keen for him to face AJ.
He told The Stomping Ground: “I want Tyson [next for Joshua]. I spoke with him, but I don’t talk about boxing.
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“I just check about his health and his family. I think maybe he’ll return. Yes ,[I think he will return], I hope so.”
Fury has remained tight-lipped on the prospect of a ring return since announcing his retirement in a bizarre Instagram video.
But Joshua isn’t giving up hope of sharing the ring with his long-time rival, telling iFL TV: “I feel like it’s the best fight [for me].
“People might say [Joseph] Parker, people might say – I don’t know.
“But I think Fury, commercially, is a great fight and it’s a great man’s fight as well. So I think it makes sense.
“You could say it’s been years in the making. But listen, the heavyweight division has been thriving.
“And why I say it’s probably still a great fight is as I said Parker is, for me, a great story of someone that never gives up.
“And the thing is, there is going to be one winner and one loser. And there’s going to be blood shed. And it ain’t gonna be mine.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
