Boxing star Tyson Fury said on Monday he is retiring from the sport following a loss to Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch last month.
Fury, 36, made the announcement in a video posted to his Instagram.
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Tyson Fury celebrates after defeating Deontay Wilder in their WBC heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on February 22, 2020. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
“Hey everyone, I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” Fury said. “It’s been a blast, I’ve loved every minute of it and I’ll end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everyone, see you on the other side.”
It was not clear why Fury mentioned Turpin. The Englishman was an 18th century highway robber and horse thief.
“The Gypsy King” suffered back-to-back defeats against Usyk. He lost via split decision back on May 18th and then lost via unanimous decision on December 21st. Both matches took place in Saudi Arabia. Fury dropped multiple heavyweight championships in his initial loss to Usyk.
Tyson Fury, right, takes a punch from Oleksandr Usyk during their undisputed heavyweight world championship boxing match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
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Fury’s last win came against Francis Ngannou via split decision.
If this is indeed it for Fury, he will retire with a record of 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts. The Usyk losses were the only two blemishes on his record. The draw came against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
He previously announced his retirement before his 34th birthday in August 2022 and was back in the ring two months later.
Frank Warren, a boxing promoter who worked with Fury, told the BBC he did not speak to Fury before his retirement.
“If that’s what he wants to do, that’s fantastic. He’s done everything he can do. Probably the best British heavyweight of his generation,” Warren told BBC radio. “Two-time world champion, two close fights against Usyk. He’s got a lot of money, got the hang of him, got a nice family.”
Deontay Wilder, right, and Tyson Fury box during their WBC/Lineal heavyweight championship boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 9, 2021. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Boxing fans were hoping Fury would finally be able to fight Anthony Joshua in a fight between two of Britain’s best fighters of this generation. But at least it won’t happen for now.
