Tyson Fury and the art of the boxing comeback

On 11 April 2026, Tyson Fury returns to the ring at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Arslanbek Makhmudov. It's his first fight in 16 months, his first on British soil since 2022, and it comes off the back of two consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. For a man who has retired and returned more times than most fighters have headlined cards, the Tyson Fury vs Makhmudov odds still place him as a heavy favourite, which tells you something about how the sport views his chances even now.

History is full of fighters who came back when the world had written them off and delivered something memorable. Boxing has a long tradition of second acts, and some of the greatest nights the sport has ever produced came from men returning with a point to prove.

Fury's return from the wilderness (2017 to 2018)

Before we look at anyone else, it's worth remembering that Fury has already pulled off one of boxing's great personal comebacks. After winning the heavyweight world title by beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, he lost his boxing licence following positive drug tests and spent the best part of three years away from the sport while battling well-documented mental health problems.

He returned in 2017 for two low-key fights, then walked into the Staples Center in December 2018 to fight Deontay Wilder, a man who had knocked out 39 of his 40 opponents. Fury was knocked down twice, including a devastating 12th-round shot that appeared to signal the end. He got up both times and fought out a draw.

For anyone who likes to bet on boxing closely, that night in Los Angeles remains one of the most remarkable performances in recent heavyweight history. The Ring magazine awarded him ‘Comeback of the Year’ for that performance alone.

Rumble in the Jungle (1974)

Muhammad Ali had his boxing licence stripped in 1967 after refusing to enter the US Army, leaving him out of the ring for three and a half years at what should have been the peak of his career. When he returned, he lost to Joe Frazier in 1971 in what was billed as the Fight of the Century. It took him another three years to get another title shot.

By October 1974, Ali was 32 years old and widely considered past his best. George Foreman had not been taken past two rounds in any of his previous fights, and had knocked down Joe Frazier six times in two rounds to win the heavyweight title.

Ali entered the Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire, as a four-to-one underdog. In front of 60,000 spectators, he knocked Foreman out in the eighth round to reclaim the world heavyweight championship.

George Foreman becomes the oldest heavyweight champion in history (1994)

The same Foreman that Ali dismantled in Zaire returned to boxing in 1987 after a ten-year absence, at the age of 38. Most people saw it as a curiosity at best. He lost on points to Evander Holyfield in a world title challenge in 1991, but kept going.

Three years later, in November 1994, he fought Michael Moorer for the IBF and WBA titles. Foreman was 45 years old and had been losing on all three scorecards through nine rounds.

In the 10th, a short right hand caught Moorer clean on the chin, and he collapsed to the canvas. Foreman became the oldest heavyweight world champion in boxing history, a record that still stands.