One thing you can count on every four years, like Leap Year, is that boxing has a short-lived retirement announcement. 2025 is no different for the announcement part as former lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) took to social media on Monday morning and announced his retirement from the sport. This would be the fifth time he does such a thing, but after losing to Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) twice in 2024, this one may actually stick, or will it?
The 36-year-old Fury posted the following message: “I’m gonna make this short and sweet,” said Fury. “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I’m gonna end with this – Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody. See you on the other side.”
Fury references Dick Turpin, an English thief from the earlier 1700s, who was executed for horse theft. His claim to fame came almost 100 years later when William Harrison Ainsworth wrote a novel about a fictional story of Turpin completing a 200-mile horse ride overnight. It’s an interesting analogy, as I’ve been told by someone who lives in the UK, that it’s a common phrase used there to express a feeling that they have been ripped off. It’s clear that Fury may still be feeling some type of way about the decision loss in December to Usyk. Of course, that is all speculation, but why make that announcement less than a month removed from the loss?
This announcement also follows the Ring Magazine Awards dinner in London, which took place on Saturday. The who’s who from boxing was in attendance, but noticeably missing was Fury. All of the talk from Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua at the awards dinner was a potential match with Fury. Hearn mentioned to the media that initial discussions had commenced but were far from agreeing on a deal. The Fury-Joshua fight is undoubtedly still the biggest one that can be made in the UK. The only question remains whether Fury still has it in him to go through another training camp for a big fight like that at 36.
Fury has “retired” multiple times in the past, and this could simply be a negotiation tactic to raise the price of him getting in the ring with Joshua at Wembley. Will Fury stay retired, or will this only last a few months before he agrees to fight Joshua in a historic domestic matchup?
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