Does he really make this announcement come true? According to his own statement, world boxing champion Tyson Fury wants to end his career after the heavyweight world championship fight against compatriot Dillian Whyte on April 23.
Tyson Fury loves press conferences and the show that goes with them. In the absence of his opponent Dillian Whyte, the self-proclaimed “Gypsy King” made a surprise announcement on Tuesday night: “This will be the last fight of my career.”
Fury added as an explanation: “$150m in the bank, young, healthy. I’m going to buy a huge yacht abroad.”
Should he actually stop after his WBC mandatory defense, the unification fight he had been waiting for months would be history. In the event of a win against Whyte, he would have contested this either against Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning world champion of the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO associations, or against his challenger Anthony Joshua.
Fury: “I would be the first to go to war”
After the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin, Usyk is now in Kiev to join the combat units in his homeland.
When asked about the war in Ukraine, Tyson Fury made it clear at the press conference that he would have acted in the same way as the 35-year-old Ukrainian. “I would be the first to go to war should England or the US be involved. I would be first in line for the job. My father would do it too, my boys too. We would all commit to the Defending Ukraine. If you are from and live in this country, defend it.”
Tyson Fury had his last world title fight in October after eleven rounds with a knockout victory over American Deontay Wilder. Whyte is the official challenger to Fury, who is unbeaten in his 32 professional fights.
Whyte, who is currently preparing for the fight in Portugal, did not appear at the press conference. He turned down an offer to fly to London in a private jet.
Tyson Fury still did the typical face-off, in which the two boxers face each other, alongside his promoter Frank Warren. “It’s the Tyson Fury show, next stop is London. It was never about the opponent,” said Fury. “If Dillian Whyte doesn’t want to be a part of this big event, that’s his problem.”