FILE PHOTO: Boxing - Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury - Heavyweight World Title - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - December 22, 2024 Oleksandr Usyk during a press conference with promoter Alex Krassyuk after winning his fight against Tyson Fury Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo
(Reuters) - Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury announced his retirement from boxing on Monday after losing his rematch for WBA (Super), WBO and WBC world heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk last month.
In a brief video statement posted on social media on Monday, the 36-year-old Briton referenced British highwayman and robber Dick Turpin in an apparent swipe at the judges who awarded Ukrainian Usyk decision wins in both of their meetings to date.
"I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing," Fury said. "It's been a blast, I've loved every single minute of it. I'm going to end with this - Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side. GET UP!"
The giant Briton shot to fame in November 2015 when he pulled off a stunning decision win over Wladimir Klitschko in Duesseldorf, Germany to become unified heavyweight world champion.
He then went on a run of nine wins and one draw before meeting his match in Usyk, who remains the only man to beat him in his professional career after grabbing a pair of decision victories.
Fury announced retirements in 2013 and 2017 on social media but both were short-lived, and he also announced his intention to quit the sport after beating Dillian Whyte in 2022, but returned six months later.
Following his most recent defeat by Usyk in December, fans and promoters alike were relishing the possibility of Fury meeting Anthony Joshua in what would undeniably be the biggest heavyweight fight in British boxing in decades.
Monday's announcement puts paid to that idea for the time being, although the reference to Dick Turpin could also be interpreted as Fury seeing a possible purse offer for that proposed fight as "daylight robbery", given the interest the fight would generate.
(This story has been refiled to correct an image)
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan and Philip O'Connor, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
