Tyson Fury has announced his shock retirement from boxing with a reference to a historical figure, Dick Turpin, that left many wondering about the meaning of his words as he enters a new chapter of his life.

The idea of the Gypsy King stepping away from the ring was a massive topic of conversation after his second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, failing to reclaim the titles he once held, particularly as Fury seemed quite vague about his future. For a brief period of time, there was a belief that he’d be back, but alas, reality struck with a post from the Mancunian on his social media, announcing he was retiring.

His post on his Instagram was as follows: “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet, I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It has been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

Who is Dick Turpin & Why Tyson Fury Referenced Him

Not many overseas boxing fans will be aware of Dick Turpin

While the main message was clear, there was some confusion around the mention of Dick Turpin, a figure that not many boxing fans may be aware of, especially if they aren’t from the UK like Fury is. After all, Turpin is no boxing legend, but a bandit from the 1700s who had to operate under a false name to avoid getting caught, yet became a sort of legend after his execution, who has multiple fictional works made about his life.

Tyson Fury’s professional record (as of 14/01/25)

37 fights
34 wins
2 losses

By knockout
24
0

By decision
10
2

Draws
1

The reference to a thief who hides his true identity is a surprise addition to a retirement announcement, but there is a common belief as to what Fury might be insinuating. The last we had heard from Fury publicly was the post-fight press conference after the second bout with Usyk, where he not only gave little indication about his future, but also made his feelings abundantly clear about the judges of the fight.Having lost via unanimous decision, with all three judges’ scores in favour of his Ukrainian rival, Fury was adamant about being robbed, claiming that the judges gave Usyk an early Christmas present. The frustration of the Manchester-native was clear in multiple behind-the-scenes clips, as both fights against his foe ended in the wrong way despite his belief that he had done enough to deserve the victory on both occasions.

Reaction to Tyson Fury’s Retirement

Is this really the end of the Gypsy King, or is there another twist to be had?

The reaction to the retirement of the Gypsy King is full of heartwarming statements from both fans and professionals alike, such was the respect and reputation of one of the finest fighters to ever grace the heavyweight class of boxing. But many are also not buying into the idea that this is truly the end of the road for Fury. After all, we’ve been here before, haven’t we? Numerous times as well!