Thor Bjornsson and Tyson Fury are not in talks for an exhibition bout, according to the world heavyweight champion's promoter, Frank Warren.
The pair, each of whom stand at 6'9", have been going back-and-forth on social media and Bjornsson appeared last week to believe there was a real possibility that he could end up in an exhibition bout with the Brit. However, Warren has poured cold water on those discussions, telling a number of outlets that as far as he's concerned, no talks have happened as yet.
Fury and Bjornsson have been going at one another on social media for weeks despite initially appearing to be friendly during a meeting back in December. They are angling for an exhibition fight, which Fury has said would be the only way he'd return to the ring.
But Warren isn't so convinced, saying that Fury is focusing on his UK speaking tour, which will take a brief break this month before resuming later in the year. The promoter will meet with the world heavyweight champion during his time off the road, at which point decisions will be made.
"There’s lots of things being said at the moment but to be honest nothing has been done," Warren told Express Sport. "Nothing will be done until I sit down with him (Fury).
“He’s got his tour at the moment, so he’s travelling around the country. Once that’s done in a couple of weeks’ time, he has a little break in-between, so we will sit down then and have a chat."
As for Bjornsson, Warren is unsure what exactly the appetite would be for a bout between the Icelander and Fury. The Icelandic fighter has competed twice and taken on a few leisurely exhibitions, and as a former strongman who even at his new slim weight is still well over 300lb, could be a fascinating opponent.
"I don’t know, to be honest," Warren said of the potential match-up. "I’ve never really done anything like that, so I couldn’t tell you if I’m perfectly honest. But there’s a massive interest in Tyson and it seems Thor as well. There’s nothing done so it is what it is at the moment."
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Fury has flip-flopped over his retirement almost constantly since declaring he was hanging up his gloves following his win over Dillian Whyte back in April. He has insisted that only £500million would get him back to professional boxing for an undisputed title fight with the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua's rematch.
But then last week he declared that he would make sure that a prospective bout against Joshua would be for no money at all. He vowed to take on his British rival at Wembley Stadium on free-to-air television, with no pay-per-view aspect to the bout.
Speaking on the latest leg of his countrywide tour, Fury said: "It's all about money, Mr Businessman; he's not a fighting man. I swear to God, I hope he wins the fight against Usyk so that I can come out of retirement and fight him for free.
"However, the terms are these; I want it at Wembley stadium, I want it free to enter and I want it on free-to-air in television in this country. I'll fight him in England, not abroad in a foreign country for more money; here for free for the people."
