It is pretty hard to decide the Mount Rushmore of heavyweight boxing. Legends like Muhammad Ali, Gene Tunney, Jack Johnson, Mike Tyson, Joe Louis, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and George Foreman often find their names on boxing fans’ respective lists. However, when it comes to modern fighters who can stake a claim among the all-time greats, only two names stand tall: Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

Usyk, the only undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the only fighter to defeat Fury twice, seems like the obvious frontrunner. Well, The Gypsy King begs to differ. A few months ago, the Manchester native sat down with the Pound 4 Pound podcast, where he revealed his pick for the most talented heavyweight boxer currently. And well, it is not Oleksandr Usyk.

Tyson Fury’s heir to the throne

In a post shared by FTTV Boxing recently, the popular boxing page decided to revisit Fury’s claim from the ‘pound 4 pound’ podcast. During the hour-long conversation, Tyson Fury spoke about the current heavyweight division and how competitive it is. With everyone making their comeback, the 36-year-old shared his desire to see none other than Jared Anderson make his return to the ring. Anderson, at 25 years old, was tearing down the division before his momentum came to a screeching halt. A shocking 5th-round knockout loss to Martin Bakole in August 2024 derailed his rise. At the time of the interview, he still hadn’t stepped back into the ring. But he shortly did.

“I’d also like to see Jared Anderson back in the mix, the ‘young Big Baby’,” Fury stated in the interview. He views the loss to Bakole as a mere stumble in what could be a storied career down the line, blaming the setback on Anderson being thrust into a fight too early.“Now, for me, he’s the most talented heavyweight in the world by far, but coming off his last fight, he had a knockout loss, so talent sometimes just doesn’t cut it if you’re rushed into fights that you’re not ready for,” he shared. The Instagram handle presented the poser to the fans, asking: “Tyson Fury names Jared Anderson the ‘most talented’ heavyweight overlooking Oleksandr Usyk—Do you agree?”

Regardless, this is not the first time that the Manchester native has shown his appreciation of Anderson. Ahead of his fight against Francis Ngannou, Fury hijacked Anderson’s Top Rank prediction interview to dub him as the “future champ.” He once again echoed his old sentiment and called The Real Big Baby the “Heir to the throne.”

It is indeed a bold take given how Oleksandr Usyk hasn’t lost a single fight and holds undisputed status in two divisions. On the other hand, Anderson’s talent is undeniable. However, talent can only take you so far. That age-old truth rang clear when Fury’s wish came true, and Anderson stepped back into the ring earlier this year.

A comeback to forget

After almost 6 months, Jared Anderson stepped into the ring against Marios Kollias in February this year on the Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis undercard in New York. What was supposed to be a raging comeback felt flat when Kollias took Anderson the full 10-round distance. Sure, Anderson won via a unanimous decision. However, the performance didn’t align with his billing as the most talented heavyweight.

The performance reignited doubts about Anderson’s dedication to boxing. The fact that Anderson himself has hinted at a potential retirement next year doesn’t help his case. Furthermore, the lackluster return only strengthens the belief that he is lacking motivation.

Only time will tell whether The Real Big Baby will hang up his gloves next year. However, if he does, it could mark one of boxing’s greatest squandered talents in recent years. But if he doesn’t, he may very well be on his way to a world title shot. As for Tyson Fury’s bold endorsement, well, we will never know if he was right or not unless Anderson manages to accomplish what Oleksandr Usyk already has.

What do you think about Tyson Fury’s statement? Let us know your thoughts down below.