Boxing star Tyson Fury said 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’ll keep this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” Fury said. “It’s been great, 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 unclear why Fury mentioned Turpin. The Englishman was an 18th century highway and horse thief.
“The Gypsy King” suffered back-to-back losses against Usyk. He lost by split decision on May 18, then by unanimous decision on December 21. Both fights took place in Saudi Arabia. Fury lost multiple heavyweight championships in his initial loss to Usyk.
Tyson Fury, right, takes a punch from Oleksandr Usyk during their undisputed world heavyweight boxing championship fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 19, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
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Fury’s last victory came against Francis Ngannou via split decision.
If this is truly the case for Fury, he will retire with a record of 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts. Usyk’s defeats were the only two blemishes on his record. The draw took place against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
He previously announced his retirement before his 34th birthday in August 2022 and returned to the ring two months later.
Frank Warren, a boxing promoter who worked with Fury, told the BBC that he had not spoken with Fury before his retirement.
“If that’s what he wants to do, that’s great. He’s done everything he could. He’s probably been by far the best British heavyweight of his generation,” Warren told BBC radio . “Two times world champion, two close fights against Usyk. He has a lot of money, he has intelligence and a lovely family.”
Deontay Wilder, right, and Tyson Fury box during their WBC/Lineal heavyweight championship boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on October 9, 2021. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Boxing fans were hoping that Fury would finally be able to fight Anthony Joshua in a battle between two of the best British fighters of this generation. However, at least for now, that won’t happen.
