As all fight fans know, former heavyweight champ Tyson Fury announced his retirement from the sport via a video he uploaded on social media, this just yesterday. But as all fans also know, this is far from the first time Fury has made such an announcement. Off the top of your head, how many times do you think Fury has now told us all, with apparent sincerity, that he was done as a fighter?
Two times? Three times? Four times?
How about five times.
The article over at ESPN.com that breaks down Fury’s five retirement announcements makes for interesting reading. And the reason we simply do not believe Fury this time – whether you think he has said what he has said in order to be in a better bargaining position for a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua, or whether you think Fury, who loves the limelight, said what he said so as to pinch headlines from yesterday’s big presser to hype the upcoming February 22 card in Riyadh – is because he really is “the boy who cried wolf.”
Here, with some great, time-consuming research done by the folks at ESPN, are all five Tyson Fury “retirements.”
1: November 20th of 2013.
Fury told us all after a second date with David Haye collapsed that he was done, this as “there’s too many b*** people in the sport.” “Goodbye boxing,” Fury said.
2: October 3rd of 2016.
Fury, not all that long after he had shocked Wladimir Klitschko to become heavyweight champ, and before a scheduled rematch with Klitschko had fallen apart two times, announced he was retiring due to his mental health issues. This was one retirement announcement from Fury that plenty of us did actually believe.
3: August 1st of 2017.
Having piled on a ton of weight, Fury, who had not fought since his November 2015 win over Klitschko, made another announcement that he was done. “Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did,” Fury said. “The end.”
4: April 23rd of 2022.
After having made an amazing comeback in May of 2018, with Fury shedding so much weight and going on to twice defeat Deontay Wilder (three times if you agree Fury deserved the decision in the first fight that was scored a draw) and becoming again the number-one heavyweight in the world, Fury announced after his defence against Dillian Whyte that he had “fulfilled everything I’ve ever wanted to fulfil.” Fury said live on air to Piers Morgan that he would give him £1 million if he ever boxed again (to this day, Morgan has not been paid).
5: Yesterday, 13th of January, 2025.
Fury has done it again. And why should we believe him this time? Well, if somebody says something often enough, perhaps it will prove to be true eventually. But most people – fans, fellow fighters, pundits, promoters – they all feel Fury will fight again.
And if Fury does box again, how long will it be before retirement announcement number-six rolls around? And will we believe Fury then? Probably not.
