TYSON FURY announced his immediate retirement from boxing on Monday.
The 28-year-old, whose career has been mired in controversy since he unexpectedly defeated Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles, dismissed the sport as “a pile of s***” and “the saddest thing I ever took part in” in a post on his Twitter account.
He had been scheduled to earn the biggest purse of his career in a rematch with Klitschko at the Manchester Arena on October 29. He withdrew from that date, however, with the explanation he had been “declared medically unfit to fight” and, since then, it has been reported he has tested positive for cocaine.
Fury’s full tweet read: “Boxing is the saddest thing I ever took part in, all a pile of s***, I’m the greatest, & I’m also retired, so go suck a d***, happy days.”
Fury, who was stripped of his IBF title when it became clear he planned to face Klitschko again instead of mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov, had postponed the first defence of his WBO and WBA titles from July because of an ankle injury. By that point, he had already offended many by making sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic comments, but he apologised for those and insisted he is “in no way a racist or bigot”.
Since his ankle injury, Fury's career - which held such promise in his position as the world's leading heavyweight - has suffered significant damage. Reports emerged that alleged he had failed a test for the banned substance nandrolone, allegations he denied and responded to through his legal team, who spoke of plans to sue UK Anti-Doping.
He missed a press conference last month to promote his rematch with Klitschko, when his manager Mick Hennessy said his car had broken down and his mobile phone had run out of battery. At that time, Klitschko cast doubt over the October 29 date taking place, with a hearing for his alleged doping violation scheduled for November, before insisting he was prepared to wait for their rematch. Fury then withdrew from the fight amid doubts over whether he would consequently be stripped of his WBO and WBA titles and, most recently, it was reported he had tested positive for cocaine.
It remains to be seen whether, as a high-profile and talented fighter, he can be tempted to return to a sport in which he retains a high value. The revelation will simplify the dilemma faced by sanctioning bodies the WBO and WBA. In retirement, Fury’s titles routinely become vacant, increasing the likelihood Klitschko will fight for them.
