Boxing fans around the world have witnessed the historic rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on December 21 in the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh. The highly anticipated bout ended as Usyk claimed a decisive victory over Tyson Fury in a unanimous decision, and retained his unified WBA, WBC, and WBO world heavyweight titles. Moreover, the AI judge’s scorecard of 118-112 also validated the official score where all three judges scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Usyk, leaving no room for doubt about the outcome.

For Fury, the all-important fight was a chance to end the year on a bright note after the disastrous loss to Usyk in May. In that, Fury endured the first defeat of his professional career, which began 16 years ago. Usyk won a split decision over him to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion this century. But can you imagine how he went through a crisis on the personal front before that fight?

Paris Fury suffered a miscarriage the day before the fight. And it was all the more heartbreaking because Paris was in an advanced stage of her pregnancy. But Fury did not want it to be interpreted as the reason for his loss. “I am not ­making excuses but she was six months pregnant. It’s not like a small miscarriage at the beginning. You have to physically give birth to a dead child, on your own, while your husband is in a foreign country,” Fury had said Donald McRae of the Guardian. Evander Holyfield, one of boxing’s living legends, seems to have all the support for Fury after everything the latter had to go through. Holyfield expressed that on his Instagram.

Taking to his Instagram story, Holyfield had one message for the Gypsy King. He stated, “Tyson Fury, Great Job. Man, I know you can get back specific time with your family, man.” Indeed, Fury needs some time to heal his battered mind. Especially after the way he conditioned himself hard for the rematch against Usyk. Ahead of the Riyadh showdown, Fury was asked about the health of Paris. His reply will surely wrench your heart.

“I’ve not spoken to her in three months,” Fury said. “I’ve not said one word to her in three months. That’s a headline, isn’t it? I’ve been away in camp and I’ve been locked away from everybody, not even had the phone on at all. The 36-year-old said that he and his wife usually spoke often while he was in training for a fight, but his new strategy of complete seclusion and silence was “special for this one. No distractions, no loss of focus.”

He even said that he wouldn’t see Paris, who was in Riyadh, until after the fight. “Difficult, yeah. It’s difficult timing but, you know, life’s difficult and the fight’s even harder. I’ve got to give myself the best opportunity to get the victory,” Fury had said about the move. It’s truly unfortunate that all these hard steps did not earn Fury the victory he wanted so dearly. But despite lending a shoulder to Fury, Holyfield did not fall short of praising Usyk for what he has done.

Evander “the Real Deal” Holyfield’s admiration for Oleksandr Usyk’s journey was evident in a video he shared on his YouTube channel. The undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s said, “You’ve done it again. From Cruiserweight to heavyweight and to beat the heavyweight guy the second time. Great job man.” Interestingly, after this win, Usyk was even compared to Holyfield by the boxing pundits.

“He’s cleaned up the modern era. He’s beat Daniel Dubois, he’s beat Fury twice, beat Anthony Joshua twice. Undisputed cruiserweight, undisputed heavyweight, not forgetting the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight titles as well. The guy has done everything. You’ve got to let him have his moment,” talkSPORT analyst Spencer Oliver said. Fellow analyst Gareth A Davies agreed as he made the bold Holyfield comparison. “For me, he belongs alongside the likes of Evander Holyfield. It’s a really good comparison,” Davies said.

Well, we can not disagree with the verdict. Usyk is unbeaten with 23 wins. As a professional, he has claimed the undisputed crown in two weight divisions – cruiserweight and heavyweight – making him the fourth to accomplish the feat alongside Holyfield, Terence Crawford, and Naoya Inoue. Meanwhile, for Fury, the path forward is uncertain yet intriguing.

While both fights with Usyk were close and exciting, a third match between the two now seems less appealing. Despite repeated announcements of retirement in interviews, it seems unlikely that the Briton will walk away without attempting to reclaim his title. On a Post-fight interview with Sky Sports, when he was asked whether he’d box again, Fury said, “I might do, I might not.” As a result, fans are left wondering whether Fury will return stronger or if his journey in the ring is nearing its conclusion.

What’s Next for Tyson Fury?

The Usyk vs. Fury rematch surely was worth the hype. Before the main event, in an interview with ‘Boxing King Media,’ Tyson Fury expressed his desire for a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk, but only if he can first avenge his recent losses. “When I win this one then yes, for sure,” he mentioned.

However, with Usyk’s victory, the 37-year-old is now going to fight with either Joseph Parker or Daniel Dubois, who has openly challenged Usyk for a rematch. In response, the Ukrainian declared, “Mr. Excellency. Your Excellency, make me fight Daniel Dubois. Thank you so much,” ensuring that this fight will also be under the Riyadh Season.

However, speculation is rife about potential opponents for Tyson Fury. With names like Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder being floated for future bouts, fans already had been longing for a fight between Fury and AJ, with Joshua reportedly eyeing Fury after the Riyadh Season rematch.

However, Fury seems more interested in fighting Usyk again than in fighting AJ. In a conversation with Al Arabiya, Fury dismissed Joshua for being in poor form, and emphasized the fact that back-to-back fights with Usyk would rather be more appealing. While this decision may frustrate AJ fans, most boxing enthusiasts would still welcome a trilogy with Usyk.

Now, who do you think Fury should face next? Do you think Tyson Fury can reclaim his former glory? And is Usyk on his way to becoming one of the greatest heavyweights of all time?