Fury, known as 'The Gypsy King', announced his retirement at the start of the year, just weeks after his second loss to Usyk. He had suffered his first career defeat to the Ukrainian in May last year, missing out on the chance to become undisputed champion. The pair met again in December, with Usyk winning a close 12-round battle.
Despite Usyk's achievements, including victories over Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois after moving up from cruiserweight, Fury sees more potential in the 25-year-old Anderson from Ohio.
Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Fury said:
"I'd also like to see Jared Anderson back in the mix, the 'young big baby'. Now, for me he's the most talented heavyweight in the world by far, but coming off his last fight he had a knockout loss, so talent sometimes just doesn't cut it if you're rushed into fights that you're not ready for."
Fury's praise comes with a note of caution. Anderson suffered his first career defeat last August, knocked out in the fifth round by Martin Bakole. He's since bounced back, outpointing Marios Kollias in February this year.
The young American has sparred many rounds with Fury, giving the retired champion a close-up view of his abilities. Anderson has been touted as America's next great heavyweight, and now faces the challenge of living up to that potential.
Fury's comments show he still believes in Anderson's talent, even after the setback. The heavyweight division will watch closely to see if the 'young big baby' can prove Fury right and become a force in the weight class.