British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from boxing one month after losing a rematch to Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk.
The 36-year-old made the announcement in a short video posted Monday on Instagram, where he shared a cryptic farewell message.
“Hi everybody, 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 single minute of it, and I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side.”
The reference to Turpin, an 18th-century English highway robber, left fans puzzled.
Fury’s decision follows his unanimous decision loss to Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 21, where statistics revealed Usyk landed 42% of his punches (179 out of 423) compared to Fury’s 28% (144 of 509).
Fury previously acknowledged mistakes in his first split-decision loss to Usyk in May, particularly criticizing his own showboating during the fight.
Fans had hoped Fury might face fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in a long-anticipated bout, but that now appears unlikely.
This isn’t the first time Fury has announced his retirement. He made a similar declaration on his 34th birthday in August 2022 but returned to the ring just two months later. Earlier that year, he hinted at retiring after defeating Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium before winning two more fights against Derek Chisora and MMA fighter Francis Ngannou.
Fury’s boxing career, which began in 2008, boasts a record of 34-2-1 with 24 knockouts. His only career losses came against Usyk, alongside a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
The rivalry between Fury and Usyk earned mutual respect, with Usyk humorously thanking Fury after winning Ring magazine’s Male Fighter of the Year award. “My friend, greedy belly, thank you so much. You’re a great opponent,” Usyk said.
Boxing promoter Frank Warren, who has worked with Fury, expressed support for the decision. “If that’s what he wants to do, that’s great. He’s done everything he can do. Probably the best British heavyweight of his generation by far,” Warren told the BBC.
Fury’s retirement brings an end to a career that has left an indelible mark on heavyweight boxing.
