Heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield has shared his thoughts on the shock retirement of Tyson Fury.
The 34-year-old former world heavyweight champion made the announcement that he will be walking away from the sport earlier in the week, less than a month after he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in seven months.
‘The Gypsy King’ lost a controversial showdown against the Ukrainian last May, falling short once again in their highly anticipated rematch on December 21, as all three judges scored it in favour of Usyk who regained his WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles at the Kindgom Arena in Riyadh.
It was heavily speculated in the wake of his second defeat to Usyk that Fury would finally move forward with an all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua, which now looks to be dead in the water.
Fury has received a number of well wishes from many of boxing’s most prominent figures, including two-weight undisputed champion Holyfield.
‘The Real Deal’ left the Brit a sincere message on his Instagram account just days after making the decision to draw the curtain on his accomplished career.
“Good luck champ. Enjoy your retirement.”
It remains to be seen if Fury’s decision is actually concrete, but if his rematch against Usyk goes on to be the last time we see ‘The Gypsy King’ in action, it will surely leave fans and pundits wondering ‘what could have been’ in regards to that showdown with long-term British rival Joshua.
‘AJ’ is expected to return to the ring in 2025, with an opponent yet to be announced by his team.