In a surprising turn of events, heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from the sport, effective immediately.

This decision comes just two days after promoter Eddie Hearn disclosed that Wembley Stadium had been earmarked for a highly anticipated match between Tyson Fury and fellow Briton heavyweight fighter Anthony Joshua, set to take place this summer.

Naija News reported that Joshua had said he was looking forward to fighting Fury this year even though the two fighters are currently holding no official belts. Recall that Joshua lost his last fight to Daniel Dubois just as Fury lost his last two fights to Oleksandr Usyk.

Despite that, Fury’s retirement from the sport came as a surprise to most boxing enthusiasts, given the hype his potential bout with Joshua is already generating.

“I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” the British boxer said in a video he posted on his Instagram page.

“It’s been a blast. I have loved every single minute of it and I’m going to end with this – Dick Turpin wore a mask!”

While the last part of his message was not clear, the consolation is that this is not the first time Fury announced his retirement. Recall that in April 2022, after a triumphant victory over Dillian Whyte, the British boxer declared that he would be stepping away from the ring for good.

However, he made a comeback just six months later, engaging in a trilogy bout against Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, reigniting excitement among his fans.