WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, has hinted that he would retire after his fight with Dillian Whyte on April 23. He made this known at a news conference on Tuesday, with Whyte absent. Fury said that the upcoming fight with Whyte would be the last in his career and after that, he was going to buy a yacht: “This is the final fight of my career, I’m retiring after this, $150m in the bank, healthy, young, I’m gonna buy a massive yacht abroad. I’m retiring, I’m out, this is my final fight, I’m done.”

This is the first time the unbeaten champion has ever hinted at retirement. After a stunning trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder last year, Fury took shots at Oleksandr Usyk, the WBA, WBO, and IBF champion, calling for a unification match. But that fight could not happen as Usyk was billed to face Anthony Joshua, the man he defeated by unanimous decision to win the belts. Fury had to settle with facing Whyte, who is the mandatory WBC challenger.

Speaking on his opponent’s absence from the news conference, Fury said, “He’s terrified. He’s definitely showing the white flag in my estimation of this fight.

“The way he’s going on about it, saying he doesn’t want to go face-to-face, of course, he doesn’t, because he’ll see that fire in my eyes and he’ll think, ‘I’m getting smashed to bits.’

“That’s what it is, it’s fear, it’s terror. It’s all of the above, and I don’t blame him for not being here today.”

Fury’s retirement may mean we would never get to see him face Joshua, a match boxing fans have looked forward to for a long time now. If he wins Whyte and retires, that would leave the WBC title vacant and open to new challengers. The terms of the fight contract with Whyte are not known yet. But if the contract contains a rematch clause, Fury would have to face Whyte again or be stripped of the title.

Written by: Leon Osamor