Tyson Fury makes major retirement claim after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk

12/23/2024 07:48 AM

Tyson Fury is contemplating retirement after losing his second chance at Oleksandr Usyk’s belts on Saturday night.

The ‘Gypsy King’ has gone 24 rounds with Usyk in the last year, losing both of their fights on the scorecards in two heavyweight showdowns. Now, he still has big potential nights on the horizon including a showdown with his long-time rival Anthony Joshua.

But at 36-years-old and having been through infamous wars with Deontay Wilder and now Usyk, he might decide to call it a day. If Fury did, he would still go down as a legendary boxing champion, despite having lost at the end of his career.

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Tyson Fury teases retirement after Oleksandr Usyk rematch

At multiple points during Tyson Fury’s career, the Brit has told fans and media that he was ‘retired’ from the sport. Most recently when he fought Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April of 2022, he insisted that he was hanging up his gloves throughout the build-up and after the fact.

But by December he was back facing Derek Chisora, and the following year took on Francis Ngannou before signing up for his two undisputed title bouts with Oleksandr Usyk. However, if he were to hang up his gloves now after two losses, it would be the first time things were different.

Speaking with media after his loss to Usyk, Fury gave the cryptic answer that “You might see me fight again, you might not.” This is a big departure from his over the top expressions of retirement in the past, and indicates that he may be considering hanging the gloves up for real.

Tyson Fury’s wife Paris would like him to retire

For years, the one force drawing Fury away from boxing has been his wife Paris and his large family. She has been pushing for him to hang up the gloves since the Wilder rematch, noting that at that stage he had never lost, and has already made generational money for their family.

As far back as 2020, she told The Mirror: "I'd like him to beat Anthony Joshua and then stop. He's in the ring with supreme boxers and it is a dangerous sport. We both know the risks. I know one shot can change everything.

“Before a fight I get nervous, but he's really calm, he's always confident. It's always 'when' he wins, not 'if'. Years ago I managed the nerves better because I knew he was fighting boxers at British or European level and I knew he was elite.

“Now he's in the ring with supreme boxers and it is a dangerous sport. We both know the risks, but it's what he wants to do. I know one shot can change everything."

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