Fans Blast Tyson Fury for Using Anthony Joshua’s Tragedy as Comeback “Marketing Tool”

Fans reacted skeptically after Tyson Fury linked his comeback to the tragedy involving Anthony Joshua

Tyson Fury’s claim that his return to boxing was inspired by the tragic deaths of Anthony Joshua’s close friends has sparked immediate backlash, with fans accusing the heavyweight of using a rival’s grief to sell a fight.

The former champion, who announced he will fight Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, cited the fatal car accident involving Joshua’s team as his primary motivation. But social media reaction has been swift and unforgiving, with many dismissing the sentiment as a calculated attempt to attach himself to a major news story.

“Tomorrow might not ever come,” Fury said at his launch press conference. “The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua.”

Joshua was involved in a crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of his close friends and training partners, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Fury, who was vacationing in Thailand at the time, claimed the news made him realize that “life is very short” and pushed him to end his retirement.

The boxing public, however, isn’t buying it

“He’s using the death of others as a marketing tool,” one top comment read on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the press conference concluded. Others pointed out the convenient timing, suggesting that Fury is trying to build a narrative bridge to a future fight with Joshua by inserting himself into Joshua’s personal timeline.

The skepticism stems from Fury’s long history of contradictory retirement statements. He has announced and retracted his retirement multiple times in the last three years alone. For many observers, linking this latest reversal to a genuine tragedy involving his domestic rival feels like a step too far.

“I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing,” Fury insisted. “There is no tomorrow to put it off to, so that’s why I’m back today for this big fight.”

While Fury uses this as a decision for a philosophical awakening, the business reality is that he needs to rebuild his commercial value after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. His opponent, Makhmudov, is a dangerous puncher who recently defeated David Allen, but he lacks the name value of a Joshua or Usyk.

By invoking Joshua’s name and the recent tragedy, Fury ensures his comeback fight dominates the headlines. Whether that dominance comes from genuine sympathy or outraged clicks appears to be a secondary concern for the self-styled “Gypsy King.”