The inevitable has happened again, fans’ worst fears have come true. After his second consecutive loss against Oleksandr Usyk last month, fans were worried about the future of Tyson Fury. A few weeks ago, several reports linking The Gypsy King to a two-fight deal with Anthony Joshua started to emerge, providing relief to the fans.

However, all those hopes took a hit when the Manchester native announced today that he was bidding farewell to the sport. The 36-year-old took to his Instagram and declared, “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of it. I’m going to end with this: ‘Dick Turpin wore a mask.’ Gob bless everybody. See you on the other side.”

This is not the first time that Tyson Fury has announced his retirement. He did it first in 2013, then in 2017, then again after his victory against Dillian Whyte in 2022, but took a U-Turn every time. Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn thinks that even this time it will be a similar case. He further declared Fury’s retirement as a ploy for the upcoming mega-fight against AJ, an opportunity that Fury thought he lost after the Watford native’s shocking loss to Daniel Dubois. At the time, Fury contended that AJ’s had cost him a $150 million payout. However, after Fury’s own loss twice, it looked like a level playing field. But that was before the announcement.

Part of Tyson Fury’s master plan?

While talking to Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn congratulated Fury on the illustrious career. He thinks that if the 36-year-old thinks it is the right time to stop, he should be able to do that. “If you haven’t got a heart for it anymore, you don’t wanna compete anymore, I think retirement is the best option. Disappointing, obviously, for the British fighting fans. But if that is the last we see of him, he’s had a great career,” stated Hearn.

However, despite the clear message by Tyson Fury, Hearn doubts that it will be the case. He thinks that by announcing retirement, the Manchester native is trying to jack-up his value in the market. “I doubt it, but it’s always best to come into retirement to make sure someone pays you to come out of retirement. If it’s your wish, much respect to him and wish him all the best,” explained the Matchroom head honcho.

Eddie Hearn then went down to explain his doubts and claimed that this announcement would let him attract the right deals. However, Hearn made it clear that it is his own opinion and does not know Fury well enough to make an accurate prediction. He declared, “I just think if I was looking for a right deal, I would go into retirement too. But I can’t speak on his behalf, that is just what I would do. I think it’s natural play. I don’t know him enough to comment. He’s the man to make his own decision and if his heart isn’t in it, it’s right to retire.”

Despite the congratulatory message, Hearn would like his reservations to be true. He would love it if Fury continued and the boxing world could witness that AJ clash that they have been eagerly anticipating for almost a decade. “But hopefully that is not the case and we get to see that AJ fight. But if that is the case, I wish him all the best,” said Hearn. 

It won’t be wrong to say that Eddie Hearn’s comments are a reflection of what every fan is thinking right now. They would love for Tyson Fury to continue a bit more. At least till they can get that Anthony Joshua match. After all, that decade-long rivalry needs to find a resolution. Let us know your thoughts down below.