Tyson Fury Retires – But Will It Stick?

Even after former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury of England (34-2-1, 24 KOs) lost for the second time in his rematch with unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine (23-0, 14 KOs), interest in seeing Fury in the ring didn’t diminish.

Already on Fury’s radar as well as his fans and promotional team: an anticipated all-British heavyweight showdown with another former unified champion, Anthony Joshua.

Although the fight wouldn’t have any belts on the line, British fans and many boxing fans worldwide remained enthusiastic about seeing the two big men meet on a big stage like Wembley Arena to test themselves against each other.

But on Monday, Tyson Fury posted a short video announcement on his social media channels, announcing his retirement from boxing.

The decision was a complete surprise to Spencer Brown, Fury’s Manager and Founder of Goldstar Promotions, and to his promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions.

“God bless him, if that makes him happy, I’m absolutely delighted for him. I want him to be fulfilled, to have peace of mind and enjoy his life,” said Warren in an interview. Warren called Fury a great ambassador for British boxing and a great servant of Britain. “I just want him to be happy.”

Warren said he supported Fury wholeheartedly in the decision. He admitted as a fan, he said he didn’t want to see Fury fight again if he didn’t want to do so. “It’s not like he’s a washed-up fighter. He’s going out at the very top … He’s the very best of his generation. He’s up there with all the greats of the past.”

Hearn Skeptical About Fury’s Retirement

Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn expressed support with a good dose of skepticism.

“Who knows? We’ve been here before. If that’s the end for him, good luck. He’s had a great career, made a lot of money.

“Disappointed, of course, for British fans and sports fans. I feel like the time is now to make that fight quite easily. If his heart’s not in it anymore, it’s a dangerous sport, and it’s time to get out. The cynic in me will always believe it could be a negotiation tactic. But perhaps not,” said Hearn.

Hearn said maybe Fury feels like his time is up, especially after Anthony Joshua publicly called him out during the RING Magazine Awards event over the weekend. “Maybe he didn’t want the pressure to be piled on to make a decision and said no,” said Hearn. Hearn said he had difficulty believing Fury would leave the fight and the potential payday on the table.

Hearn made it clear Joshua is far from finished and will look to other opportunities, saying Joshua has “got his mojo back, with swag and a spring in his step.”

Sound and Fury?

Tyson Fury showed his appreciation to vocal Bomb Squad fans at the weigh-in for his third fight with Deontay Wilder. It sums up his attitude in general. Photo: Gayle Falkenthal

This week’s announcement is the fifth time in the past 11 years that the 36-year-old Fury has declared he is retired from boxing. On the previous four occasions, Fury eventually returned to the ring.

Fury retired in September 2013, frustrated after a planned fight with David Haye was canceled for the second time due to Haye’s injuries. As with the most recent announcement, Fury posted the news to social media, ensuring he’d been heard by repeating the news the following day.

He doubled down the next day: “Just to confirm I’m not in a bad mood or anything. I’ve retired 1000000% no matter what I’ll never fight again!”

Fury was back in the ring in three months, beating Joey Abell on February 15, 2014.

Two and a half years later, Fury pulled out of a scheduled rematch with Wladimir Klitschko following his shocking upset victory. He vacated the WBA and WBO titles he won and said he needed to address his mental health. Just hours later, Fury posted on X/Twitter, “You think you will get rid of the Gypsy King that easy!!! I’m here to stay.”

Nine days later, Fury admitted a problem with cocaine addiction. The UK Anti-Doping Organization opened an investigation, and the British Boxing Board of Control suspended Fury’s license. This one seemed it might stick.

But the BBBofC resolved the drug offenses and reinstated Fury’s license in 2018. Fury returned in May 2018, beating Sefer Seferi in a blowout KO win.

Fury vs Wilder Trilogy

Tyson Fury scores his first knockdown against Deontay Wilder in their second fight at T-Mobile Arena on October 9, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Frank Micelotta, Fox Sports

From this point forward, Fury went on a roll, winning two of three fights decisively over WBC World Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder with two spectacular beatdowns ending in stoppages following a draw secured when Fury got off the canvas after seemingly knocked out cold.

Fury defended the WBC title he won against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23, 2022, saying he’d fulfilled everything he ever wanted to fulfill. But once again, Fury returned to the ring to fight Derek Chisora for the third time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3, 2022. In the meantime, he repeatedly called out Joshua.

The fight was Joshua had lost some luster after Joshua suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022. But Joshua’s much-improved performance in the rematch reignited interest in the matchup.

Francis Ngannou drops Tyson Fury with an overhead left to the temple in round three. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank via Getty Images

While Joshua went on a rebuilding tour against Jermain Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin, Fury ended up in a stunt fight against MMA great Francis Ngannou. Ngannou was shockingly competitive, dropping Fury and narrowly losing.

Suddenly, Joshua’s resurgence met Fury’s tarnishing, and the pair seemed on a level playing field. But instead of fighting each other, Joshua took on Ngannou and drilled him in a knockout-of-the-year performance.

Unified champion Usyk took on Fury as the underdog. After two solid victories, including Usyk’s definitive victory on December 23, Fury’s only realistic path seemed to lead to Joshua, who, in the meantime, suffered his own devastating loss to the underdog Daniel Dubois.

Fans Denied Fury vs Joshua Again

We don’t believe Tyson Fury’s last appearance in the ring in the rematch against Oleksandr Usyk was his last. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry Promotions.

The boxing world felt confident it would finally see its long-awaited, slightly overcooked contest between Fury and Joshua. But as of today, there are no reports of discussions or hopes for it happening. Forgive boxing fans feeling like Charlie Brown as Lucy pulls the football away from the tee again.

Nine months. Two years and seven months. Eight months. Six months. Only once was Fury out for a significant amount of time while addressing his mental health and fending off accusations of being a drug cheat. Will Fury feel differently once the sun begins to shine again in Great Britain in the summer?

Like Eddie Hearn, we’re highly skeptical. As Fury has often said, he was born to fight, in a family of fighters.

In 2019, before his fight with Tom Schwartz in Las Vegas, Fury said, “I was down and out.  The Gypsy King was finished, but I dusted myself off and got back on the road. We worked hard to get to this position. To take a big fight with Wilder and be back again in Las Vegas, it’s a dream come true.

“I am living my dream and that’s why I’m always so happy and positive, I’m one of the only few people who can say that.

“As a kid, I wanted to be heavyweight champion of the world and I achieved that in 2015, so now everything is a bonus.”

Fury Will Be Back

Save for the one long break involving the BBBofC investigation, Fury hasn’t stayed out of the ring longer than nine months. While Fury may legitimately believe he’s done with the sport, we’re inclined to agree with Eddie Hearn. After brushing off the increasingly loud chatter about a fight with Joshua to catch his breath, Fury knows if he chooses to return, he will be welcomed and have a bargaining chip in his pocket.

Returning in a year to fight on a big British card next December to wind up Riyadh Season 2025 gives him options. Don’t think for a minute the door is slammed shut.

It’s also possible Fury decides to pursue his fortunes as a WWE performer. He’s been well-received since his surprise appearance in 2019. The coronavirus pandemic caused any designs Fury had on a pro wrestling career to fizzle, as boxing came back quickly while other sports sat things out.

Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, learned about Fury’s decision at the same time fans did from Fury’s social media announcement. He told Ring Magazine the news “was a shock and it wasn’t a shock.”

Brown says he supports Fury’s decision.

“Tyson, he does things spirit of the moment, but I think this is it for him. He’s a very rich man. He lives a very mundane life. He doesn’t even go on holiday, really. Maybe he should look at doing that more. But that’s not the last we’re going to see of Tyson Fury, that’s for certain.”

For now, we agree. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice – or six times – shame on me.