Tyson Fury's return to the ring rests solely on a meeting with the British Boxing Board of Control and there is now a date set for the two sides to meet.
BBBofC general secretary Robert Smith told Sky Sports the hearing will take place in December and said he hopes the meeting can resolve the issue regarding Fury's suspension.
"December, that’s true. The reason why this has taken so long, so I have been led to believe, is because Mr. Fury's legal team could not agree a date for the recommencement of the hearing. They obviously now have, and the hearing will recommence," Smith said.
Even though a meeting will take place, it does not guarantee Fury will be cleared to return to the ring next year. A longstanding issue with Fury since his initial retirement last year is his weight issues, even ballooning all the way to more than 300 pounds. Smith said the BBBofC will look at Fury's well-being and have that be a factor in the final ruling.
"It is publicly known that Mr. Fury has a number of health issues and we would have to look at that," Smith said.
Fury has been extremely vocal about wanting to return to the ring and fight unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, recently said he would be willing to help out Fury and ensure he returns to the ring.
Fury shocked the boxing world by defeating Wladimir Klitschko to win the unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles in November 2015. The two were set to have a rematch in 2016, but injuries from both sides delayed the fight. The fight was officially off when Fury failed a U.K. Anti-Doping Agency drug test and reports surrounding his mental health forced Fury to be suspended and have his boxing license revoked. His titles were also stripped and Fury announced his retirement last year.
