Tyson Fury is more motivated by boxing Oleksandr Usyk a third time, than by coming out of retirement to fight his British rival Anthony Joshua.

At the start of the year, still embittered after a second points reverse to Usyk, Fury announced that he would retire.

But Fury would return to boxing for a trilogy fight with Usyk. “We’ll see but he likes that fight and he wants that fight, and they were close fights by the way,” promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports News.

“Anything can happen in this business, maybe that fight can be made if indeed Usyk wants to do it and Tyson wants to do it.

“I’m sure there’d be an appetite for it.”

Though no date and venue has been set for it, Fury’s comeback could take place in April of next year.

“I don’t know. We’d like to see it happen. That’s all I can tell you at this stage,” Warren said. “He’s out of action this year.

“It’ll probably be early new year, April [that he returns]. We’ve got to have a conversation. The last thing Oleksandr wants to be talking about is fights. He’s been in a hard training camp, he’s got the victory and he’s back home with his family now enjoying the fruits of his labour.”

There would of course be tremendous public interest in Fury finally fighting Joshua. But Fury’s focus is on Usyk.

“The public all want to see him fight AJ and it’s a fight that’s not happened,” Warren said.

“It’s one of those fights that maybe should have happened a few years ago but it didn’t for various reasons. There’s a massive appetite for that fight too.”

But the promoter added: “Tyson what he feels he wants is he wants to try and put the record straight with Usyk. That’s the fight he would like.”