It’s no surprise to anyone: Tyson Fury has announced his return from retirement… again. The British boxer, known for his comings and goings in the boxing world, has confirmed his most recent return this Sunday, after a year out of the ring, following his second defeat for the heavyweight title against Oleksandr Usyk. Fury is no stranger to ceremoniously announcing the end of his career (and restarting it), sometimes within months. Here’s a look back at each time he decided to retire and what happened afterwards:
Retreat Number 1
When he retired: November 20, 2013 (at 25 years old)Reason: Fury announced his retirement after a fight with David Haye was canceled for the second time. The boxer was scheduled to face the former world champion in September 2013 and then in February 2014, but both fights were canceled due to injuries to his opponent.The next day, he reaffirmed his decision: “Just to confirm that I’m not in a bad mood or anything. I have retired 1000000% no matter what, I will never fight again!”. When he returned: Three months later, Fury returned and defeated American Joey Abell on February 15, 2014. The boxer cited his “different moods” as the reason for his previous retirement.“Hello everyone, I have officially retired from boxing,” Fury posted on social media. “There are too many bad people in this sport. They’ll have to mess with someone else. Goodbye to boxing.”
Tyson Fury
Retreat Number 2
When he retired: October 3, 2016 (at 28 years old)Reason: After withdrawing from a heavyweight title rematch with Wladimir Klitschko to address his mental health, Fury posted on social media that “boxing is the saddest thing I’ve ever been involved in” and “I am the greatest, and I am also retired.”When he returned: Although he didn’t return to the ring for three years, Fury retracted his retirement hours later on Twitter, stating: “Do you think you’ll get rid of the Gypsy King so easily?! I’m here to stay.” However, he relinquished his WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles, nine days after the tweet, pending an investigation into a UK Anti-Doping Agency case regarding his admitted cocaine use. Shortly thereafter, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) suspended his boxing license.
Retreat Number 3
When he retired: August 1, 2017 (at age 28)Reason: Fury, still out of the ring since he defeated Klitschko in 2015, had spoken of numerous comeback attempts in 2017 before posting on social media in the summer: “I have been very blessed in my life and career, achieving the most in boxing, it was an epic journey along the way. Thanks to all the fans who supported me and believed in me along the way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. THE END”. Fury, then 28 years old, was awaiting a date for the resumption of his anti-doping hearing at that time. When he returned: In December of that year, the UK Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that they had agreed with Fury and the BBBofC to resolve the charges. In January 2018, the BBBofC reinstated Fury’s boxing license and he returned to the ring in May 2018, defeating Sefer Seferi.
Retreat Number 4
When he retired: April 23, 2022 (at 33 years old)Reason: Fury once again announced that he was hanging up his gloves after his victory over Dillian Whyte to retain his WBC title at Wembley Stadium in London, stating, after recently completing three great fights with Deontay Wilder, “I have fulfilled everything I always wanted to fulfill.” He reaffirmed his retirement with a social media post on August 12, tweeting: “I have finally decided to step away and on my 34th birthday I say Bon voyage”. He also relinquished his Ring title that day.When he returned: In October, another change of direction for Fury was confirmed with the announcement of a trilogy fight against Derek Chisora. He defeated Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3, 2022.
