Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from boxing, just weeks after his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in a much-anticipated rematch.
The undefeated heavyweight champion shared his decision in a video posted on Instagram, with a message that read, “Thanks, it’s been a blast. Thanks to everyone who helped out along the way! Happy new year, Jesus is king now & forever.”
In the video, Fury said, “Hi everybody. I’ll keep this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and I’ll leave with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody. See you on the other side. Get up.”
Fury’s announcement comes after his second loss to Usyk, marking only the second defeat of his career. The rematch, which took place in Saudi Arabia, saw Usyk win by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112 in his favor.
This isn’t the first time Fury has declared his retirement. Before his 2022 fight against fellow British heavyweight Dillian Whyte, he announced that he was stepping away from the sport, citing having “£150m in the bank and nothing to prove to anybody.” However, after winning that bout, he reversed his decision and aimed to retire undefeated, like the legendary Rocky Marciano. Shortly after, he returned to the ring for a third fight with Derek Chisora.
Following his recent loss to Usyk, Fury was uncertain about his future in boxing, telling reporters, “You might do, you might not do. Who knows? We’ll talk about that next year.”
Fury also voiced his frustration with the fight’s judging, claiming Usyk received “an early Christmas gift” from the judges, despite believing he had won both encounters. “I will always feel a little bit hard done by,” he added. “When you don’t get the knockout, this is what happens. You can’t guarantee the win.”
Having spent three months preparing for the rematch, Fury chose not to see his wife Paris and their seven children during this period, stating that he was looking forward to a quiet Christmas at home.
