Tyson Fury has announced his retirement - again - amid speculation over a proposed fight with Anthony Joshua, seemingly shutting down hopes of their long-awaited super-bout, while making an intriguing reference to Dick Turpin.
The Gypsy King suffered the second loss of his career in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in December, having been edged by the Ukrainian in their first encounter last May too.
In their first bout, Fury came up short by split decision but lost their second clash unanimously on the scorecards, with the Briton adamant in the aftermath he had won both times.
Many had hoped that the result would pave the way for the star to finally fight Joshua, his domestic heavyweight rival, but now the star appears to have hung up his gloves.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom
"Hi everybody," Fury, who holds a 34-2-1 record, stated in a video posted to social media. "I'm going to make this short and sweet. I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing.
"It's been a blast. I've loved every single minute of it and I'm going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, [and] see you on the other side. Get up!"
Fury's allusion to Turpin, an 18th-century highwayman whose life was subsequently romanticised into British folklore, could well refer to a number of factors.
The figure has been referenced to suggest a public robbery in the cultural lexicon, and could indicate lingering frustration over the decision of the judges in his loss to Usyk.
Alternatively, it could suggest discontent over discussions and prospective purses for a fight with Joshua, long feted as potentially one of the biggest fights in modern boxing.
It is not the first time that Fury has retired either, having previously insisted that he had quit the sport for good in 2022 following his win Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium.
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