This week, Tyson Fury, disheartened by two of the biggest upsets of his career in 2024—both against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk—announced his retirement from boxing, once again. In a short Instagram clip, ‘The Gypsy King’ addressed his fans: “Hi everybody, I’ll make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast, and I’ve loved every single minute of it.”

In their thrilling 12-round rematch last December, Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his unified title via a unanimous decision. Tyson Fury was visibly upset, calling Usyk’s victory a “Christmas present.” However, now that the dust has settled, the 36-year-old British heavyweight appears firm in his decision to retire, particularly considering his age.

Despite his announcement, rumors have begun circulating in the combat sports world that Tyson Fury is looking for a staggering $600 million (£500 million) payout before his retirement once and for all. This has reignited speculation among fans, who are all too familiar with The Gypsy King’s’ history of retirement announcements, having retired four times already—only to return each time when a higher payout is announced. Could he come out of retirement again for $600 million?

In response to these rumors, Saudi Royal and head of the Riyadh Season, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh recently addressed the matter during a conversation with the team at ‘talkSPORT.’ During the conversation, HE Alalshikh dispelled the rumors. “As Simon say yesterday, having a lot of rumors doesn’t help us and make us look like fool. No one will propose 500 million to do any fights. This is not a correct number. No one doing something like this,” he explained bluntly.

The speculation about a $600 million (£500 million) payout before retirement stems from Tyson Fury’s long-standing ambition to become “the first £500 million heavyweight boxer.” This goal was first mentioned in 2022 when discussions began about the British heavyweight potentially facing either Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk. In May 2024, ahead of his first clash with Usyk, Fury again expressed his desire to cement his legacy as the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. However, that bout ultimately ended in a split-decision win for Usyk.

Throwback to when Mike Tyson asked for $500 million to face Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury isn’t the only heavyweight eyeing a $500 million payday for a boxing matchup. The legendary Mike Tyson also set his sights on a lucrative return to the ring to enhance his legacy in the boxing world. Tyson made headlines when he faced YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in November 2024, marking his first boxing appearance in four years since his exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

Originally, there could have been an anticipated clash between Tyson Fury and Mike Tyson. However, the plans took a turn when Tyson’s hefty pay demands came into play. Speaking to IFL TV last October, The Gypsy King’ claimed, “His people contacted me. Mike and I had a phone call. It was all real, but it never materialized. Whoever was offering the comeback money to Mike offered us peanuts. Mike was talking about $500 million figures [half a billion], but what came back to us on paper was a joke. It was crazy. I did have a $10 million offer from ESPN to do the fight as an exhibition, but I think everyone has moved on now.”

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