Heavyweight champion Fury retires from boxing and gives up Ring belt

Tyson Fury's 34th birthday saw 'The Gypsy King' announce his second retirement from boxing in recent months in the same week he claimed to be on his way back to the square circle.

Shortly after knocking out Dillian Whyte in the last defense of his WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles back in April, Fury revealed that he was hanging his gloves up. 

This week, however, he called out fellow Brit Derek Chisora for a trilogy bout and even professed to have appointed Isaac Lowe to replace SugarHill Steward as his trainer. 

Then U-turning yet again, Fury turned 34 on Friday and insisted that his day to walk away from the sport has finally arrived.

"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years & after long hard conversations I’v finaly (sic) decided to walk away & on my 34th birthday I say Bon voyage," he wrote on social media.

Then giving a "massive shoutout" to his wife Paris who "helped me more than anyone", Fury thanked God and departed by saying "see you all on the other side you big dossers" while adding the numbers "2008-2022" in a nod to the supposed start and finish of his career.

If true, Fury's retirement makes the future of the heavyweight division uncertain after it was previously thought that he would take on the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua next week to see the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era finally crowned. 

Joshua is attempting to win back the WBA, IBF and WBO belts that Usyk relieved him of at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September last year, and as confirmed by promoters Matchroom on Saturday afternoon, Fury's old belt from Ring Magazine is now up for grabs in the money-spinning bout after the Mancunian vacated it. 

Speaking to Ring Magazine this weekend, Fury told its editor that the greatest moment of his career was winning the championship for the first time from Usyk's compatriot Wladimir Klitschko in a 2015 masterclass. 

"There’s the great comeback after that with the three [Deontay] Wilder fights," Fury went on.

"There’s been a lot of great highlights in my career – even the Dillian Whyte fight in front of 94,000 at Wembley. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. And I went out with a bang."

"To be honest with you, and I’ve always said, I don’t really give a f**k about what people think of me," Fury said when asked how he thought he would be remembered by fight fans. 

"I don’t care how they remember me. Being remembered means you’re not active [as a person] anymore, you’re finished, and that’s it.

READ MORE: Fury names comeback price amid being refused entry to US

"It was fun while it lasted," Fury continued. "I had a good 14-year career. I actually boxed for 20 years, from 14 to 34 years old. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed the ups and the downs. My career was an Indian summer that just kept giving.

"I’ve done well out of boxing," Fury confessed.

"The world is open to so many things now. I’m doing a Netflix documentary at the moment. I’m going to be recording an album soon. Who knows, you might even see me on the silver screen."

What will happen to Fury's WBC strap is still unknown, but the organization is reportedly planning a proper farewell for one of its greatest modern-day champions.