Boxing pundit Johnny Nelson has voiced concerns that Tyson Fury may pull out of his scheduled rematch with Oleksandr Usyk and possibly retire from the sport. Fury, who suffered his first professional defeat to Usyk in May, lost the undisputed heavyweight title by split decision after a brutal ninth-round knockdown. The highly anticipated rematch is set for December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but Nelson doubts it will happen.

In a recent interview, former fighter Nelson commented on troubling footage of the 6ft 9in Fury being escorted out of a Morecambe pub by security. The video showed Fury looking worse for wear, stumbling around, and eventually falling to his knees outside, where he appeared to hit his head on a lamppost.

Nelson began by telling Seconds Out: “He’s a man, he’s gone out for a drink. That’s it. There’s no law against getting drunk. He’s not done anything wrong, he’s just got p***ed.” However, Nelson suggested that the incident might be linked to Fury’s recent defeat, saying, “I think for Tyson Fury, the realisation of what’s happened to him will kick in slowly but surely.”

Nelson elaborated on his theory, suggesting that Fury might not go through with the rematch against Usyk due to the psychological impact of his loss. “I don’t believe Tyson will fight Oleksandr Usyk next, or again. He could retire because of the manner of the defeat – he’s struggling to deal with it. As long as Usyk’s around, he ain’t gonna box. He can’t get his head around it. I don’t think he’ll go through that again. He can smile and joke but it’s a big deal.”

When asked whether he was concerned about Fury potentially entering a mental health spiral similar to the one he experienced after his victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, Nelson confirmed his fears. Following his win over Klitschko, Fury fell into a deep depression, gained significant weight, and turned to alcohol and drugs before making a remarkable comeback.

“That’s exactly what it is,” Nelson said. “All these people around him trivialising it, they’re not in his head. They’re not the guys that took the beating. What does Tyson Fury need? He needs someone to listen to.”

Fury’s fans and the boxing community are now left wondering about the future of the Gypsy King. With the rematch against Usyk hanging in the balance, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Fury can overcome this latest challenge and return to the ring, or if this marks the end of an era for one of boxing’s most charismatic champions.