Fury names option Wardley, reaching him looks unlikely

Fury is still publicly talking about a major summer fight, with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk continuing to hover as obvious names. This is where the problem begins. Fury has lost twice to Usyk. The second fight offered little evidence of physical adjustment or improvement. On the contrary, it strengthened the gap.

Recent training footage has only added to the uncertainty. Fury looked older. Slow down. Light on the upper body, soft in the middle. He will be 38 years old in August 2026, but the wear and tear shows up sooner than that. Heavyweight longevity is forgiving until it isn’t, and Fury no longer looks like a fighter who gains time comfortably.

This is important when talking about a path that includes dangerous fights even before Wardley becomes a realist. A summer fight against Joshua or another top contender is not a formality. A tune-up, if poorly chosen, does not constitute a guarantee either. A loss sends Fury straight back to retirement discussions. Another make-or-break decision likely ends the conversation.

Wardley, on the other hand, is moving forward. He is younger. He is active. He hits hard. He is not a name that fighters casually circle around once decline sets in. The idea of ​​Fury fighting for that belt later in the year sounds appealing on paper, but paper doesn’t absorb blows.

For now, Wardley remains a possibility in theory. The hardest part is whether Fury can survive the coming months well enough that this option still exists.