Fury’s retirement: Hearn calls it a “natural play” for a bigger payday

Eddie Hearn doubts Tyson Fury’s retirement is a serious one that will last. Hearn says Fury retired to “Make sure someone pays you to come out of retirement.” In other words, ‘the Gyspy King’ is faking it so he can get a massive mega-million offer to come out of retirement so he can face Anthony Joshua in the ‘Battle of Britain’.

It doesn’t bode well for promoter Hearn that former WBC heavyweight champion Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) announced his retirement today as he hoped to fight Anthony Joshua twice in 2025. With Fury retiring, Joshua doesn’t have much options.

There is the winner of the Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker, and then whatever Hearn can scrape up. Dubois could retire Joshua if these two meet again. But the money AJ would get from that fight is nowhere near what he would get fighting Fury twice.

“A Natural Play”

“I think if you don’t have the heart for it anymore and you don’t want to compete, I think retirement is the best option,” Eddie Hearn told TNT Sports in response to Tyson Fury announcing his retirement.

“Obviously I’m disappointed for British fight fans because we have the chance to make the biggest fight in boxing. If this is the last we see of him, he’s had a great career.

“I doubt it, but it’s always been about coming into retirement to make sure someone pays you to come out of retirement. But if that’s his fate, all respect to him and I wish him all the best,” Hearn said of Fury.

“I just think if I was looking for the right deal, I would retire too, but I can’t speak for him. That’s just what I would do. I think it’s a natural play, but maybe it’s his destiny. I really don’t know him well enough to comment,” Hearn said.

Fury may be sulking in defeat and questioning himself after re-watching his December 21 loss to Oleksandr Usyk. He must have seen his performance by now and realized that he lost. Fury was previously depressed, and it is possible that he is not feeling happy after being dominated for a second time by the talented Usyk.

With the massive fortune Fury has amassed from his fights in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he may feel he doesn’t want to continue. He has to know if he fights Joshua there is a good chance he will get knocked out by him because he doesn’t have the power to stop him like Daniel Dubois did. If Fury has to go 12 rounds to beat Joshua, there’s a good chance he won’t make it.

Is Fury scared?

Reliving the memories of a knockout loss to AJ would haunt Fury, and no amount of money could make him forget what happened. Some people can let bad experiences roll off their backs and forget about them. I don’t think Tyson is that type. He is more like someone who will dwell on the past, second guess himself and be tormented by regrets like many aging people do.

“He’s the man to make his own decisions and it’s not the type of sport you want to play in if your heart isn’t in it anymore,” Hearn said.

“If his heart is no longer in it, it is the right decision for him. Hopefully that’s not the case and we get to see the AJ battle. If not, I wish him all the best. The winner of Joseph Parker vs. Dubois,” Hearn said when asked what the next fight Anthony Joshua could face if Fury retires.

As you can see, Hearn is thinking about himself and not Fury’s situation. He is just a tool to help Joshua increase his wealth. I don’t blame Fury for retiring because the way he was hurt in both Usyk fights showed that he can’t take a punch anymore. The three fights with Deontay Wilder did something to him. Yes, it’s admirable that Fury won two of them, but the damage is there. Deontay took some chips out of him in those fights.

Eddie Hear. react to Tyson Fury’s retirement 🗣️

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— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) January 13, 2025