Tyson Fury is nearing the end of his boxing career, as he confirmed in an interview on Wednesday. The heavyweight champion discussed his retirement plans and addressed Deontay Wilder’s use of his costume as an excuse following their recent bout. Fury emerged victorious over Wilder in their second fight via TKO in the seventh round in Las Vegas on February 22.
Shortly after Deontay Wilder’s defeat to Tyson Fury in their rematch, excuses began to surface. One of the most notable and arguably absurd claims from the former champion was that the $40,000, 40-pound costume he wore during his ring entrance had hindered his performance, ultimately leading to his loss. Wilder also expressed dissatisfaction with his assistant trainer, who threw in the towel, ending the fight. Tyson Fury dismissed these claims, stating in a Wednesday morning interview with the British TV show “This Morning” on ITV that “he (Deontay Wilder) said that he trains in a 45-pound weighted vest every day. But, you know, I can understand where he’s coming from. In every fighter’s mind, there’s got to be a reason why they’ve lost. It can never be a simple fact that I wasn’t good enough on the night and lost to the better guy.”
Fury emphasized that excuses are common in boxing, with fighters often attributing their losses to various factors such as camp issues, trainer faults, or physical ailments. However, he adopts a different mindset, stating, “With me, if I’m injured or whatever the problem is, it’s like, ‘OK, the performance wasn’t great. But I’m going to move on and crack on.'”
Regarding his own career trajectory, Tyson Fury has achieved significant milestones in the heavyweight division, securing all major titles, including the WBC belt, which he claimed from Wilder in February. With an undefeated record of 30-0-1, Fury’s only draw came from his initial encounter with Wilder in 2018.
While fans anticipated a showdown between Fury and Anthony Joshua, the former’s plans were temporarily altered as Wilder exercised his rematch clause, setting up a bout in July. Fury intends to face Wilder once again before potentially squaring off against Joshua, which he has indicated will be his final fight. In the same interview with “This Morning,” Fury revealed, “Yes, I’ve got two more fights left, and then we’ll really think about what we’re going to do from there.”
Looking ahead to retirement, Tyson Fury, at just 31 years old, plans to remain active by supporting the next generation of fighters. He reenacted his childhood gym experience when he opened a boxing gym in Britain, hoping to train up-and-coming talent.