Tyson Fury may have made his last appearance in the ring this evening having beaten Dillian Whyte in one of the biggest boxing nights in UK history. The long awaited fight between the two took place at Wembley Stadium tonight with the WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles on the line and was eventually finished by the Gypsy King in the sixth round.
Mandatory challenger Whyte came into the fight off the back of an emphatic knockout of Alexander Povetkin in a March 2021 rematch in Gibraltar after being beaten by the Russian fighter in August 2020.
Fury, meanwhile, remains undefeated as the WBC and The Ring champion as well as being one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, alongside Canelo Alvarez. The Gypsy King came into the fight off the back of two knockout victories over Deontay Wilder twice in their epic trilogy after drawing the first fight.
Fury vs Whyte highlights and LIVE reaction
Should Fury choose not to retire, though, who could we realistically see him fighting next?
Anthony Joshua
The one fight which UK fans have been hoping to see for over five years. The Gypsy King was all set for a showdown with Anthony Joshua, with all four heavyweight belts on the line, but Joshua's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk shattered those plans. A rematch between the pair is now set to go ahead later in 2022, pushing a unification bout further back into the future and leaving Fury in a difficult position.
Essentially, Joshua will need to defeat Usyk before a fight with Fury. And to do that, Joshua will need a much improved performance to stand a chance against Usyk who was oozing with class in a punch-perfect display last time out.
Fury has recently spoken on having no desire to fight Joshua, but a win over Usyk would certainly grab his attention.
Oleksandr Usyk
Another fight which we could have seen this year, as Fury and Usyk reportedly both tried to make the fight happen with an offer to Anthony Joshua to step-aside of their rematch clause. However, Joshua refused. Fury has spoken on multiple occasions of fighting Usyk, naming him a 'middleweight'.
Usyk would likely be Fury's most difficult opponent, with the Gypsy King mentioning previously that his toughest opponents are smaller, quick fighters.
Andy Ruiz Jr
A heavyweight who put his name on the map with a shocking victory over Joshua in 2019. The Mexican-American is set to fight Luis Ortiz in what will be a tough test. Ortiz has previously out-boxed Deontay Wilder on two occasions before the Bronze Bomber dropped the Cuban with two big shots.
Should Ruiz defeat Ortiz, he could be a contender to fight Fury on the big stage over in the United States.
Francis Ngannou
A fight which Fury himself has stated will happen in 2023, as he's very eager to fight the UFC heavyweight champion in what could be a crossover fight.
Ngannou, the world record holder for the most powerful punch, is currently dominating the heavyweight division in the UFC - with five consecutive wins all coming by way of an early knockout with his simply outrageous power. The Cameroonian did not start fighting until the age of 26 - making an incredibly quick impression in the UFC as he would win his first six fights.
But his current contract talks have stalled with the UFC and he has admitted that he wants to face Fury in the boxing ring.
Canelo Alvarez
Canelo Alvarez moving up to heavyweight would be a shocking development, but it has been discussed.
The Mexican fighter has moved up a weight division for 2022 after becoming undisputed super middleweight champion last year and is now eyeing Ilunga Makabu's WBC cruiserweight belt, as he bids to become a five-weight champion.
Being undisputed champion in three of the four weight divisions he has fought in previously, Canelo could go for broke at cruiserweight to continue his stellar career.
While the 31-year-old Mexican has played down the chances of eventually moving to heavyweight, stating he doesn't believe his body would allow it, sparring partner Frank Sanchez believes differently and his comments serve as a warning to Tyson Fury.
