He’s back!

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will return to action for the first time in two-and-a-half years against an unnamed opponent on June 9 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

On November 28, 2015, Fury sensationally dethroned long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf, Germany. However, since that time, the Englishman has vacated or been stripped of his title belts, suffered mental health problems and received a retroactive ban from UKAD for ingesting a banned substance.

Despite all of the controversy, this comeback has been eagerly anticipated by a large quantity of fight fans.

“It’s took a long time to make this happen,” said Fury, who has signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren. “The best heavyweight in the world is back. I’ll be in Manchester to put on a show. I’m back to claim what’s rightfully mine – and that’s the world. I held the world in the palm of my hand.

“Given the right amount of time and the right fights, I’ll be too much for the sluggers and wild punchers out there because of my agility and skill. I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. I’m 29 years old and coming into the prime of my life. Looking at the competition out there, it should be relatively easy.”

The enigmatic switch-hitter is likely to have more than one stay-busy bout before targeting the division elite spearheaded by unified IBF, WBA and WBO titleholder Anthony Joshua and WBC counterpart Deontay Wilder. As expected, Fury was not at a loss for words when it came to his potential rivals.

“Joshua is a belt carrier for me,” said the former champion. “Anyone who feints and moves on him gives him trouble. My advice to him is, get a handful of rice and throw it at me. That’s the only way you’ll touch me. He’s not the hardest to hit, he’s smaller than I am and I don’t think he holds a good shot either.

“Deontay is the best of the bunch right now. He’s dangerous until the final second of a fight and we saw that against Luis Ortiz. Unlike AJ, Wilder has the speed and agility to land his punches. But, like AJ, he’s a bit vulnerable around the whiskers.

“The champions are vulnerable and beatable.”

Tom Gray is Associate Editor for THE RING. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing

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