Tyson Fury warned over retirement and urged to take on new role in boxing

Fury retired in January, though not for the first time, and his US promoter Bob Arum has strong feelings on the heavyweight’s future

Tyson Fury “owes it to himself and his family” to stay retired, his US promoter Bob Arum has said.

In January, one month after Fury’s second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk, the British heavyweight announced his retirement from boxing. However, it was not the first time that the “Gypsy King”, 36, has claimed to have retired.

Furthermore, the retirement coincided with a phase in which a long-awaited dream fight with Anthony Joshua seemed to be back on the cards. Regardless of that fact, however, Arum has said Fury should stay away from the boxing ring – though not necessarily from the business as a whole.

“I think Fury owes it to himself and his family to remain happily retired,” Arum told Sky Sports on Thursday (27 March). “I would advise him not to ever go back in the ring.

“I believe he has a lot in front of him [in life]. He is a good communicator and is an entertainer, but I don’t think he should step in the ring again, because I think he’s had enough. Fortunately, in the last few years of his career, he earned so much money [that] his family or himself is never going to want for money.

“I would advise him not to ever go back in the ring, but to make himself useful as a spokesperson, because he can communicate extraordinarily well. People are intrigued by him, and I think he can do a lot of good.”

Tyson Fury (left) with his US promoter Bob Arum (Getty Images)

Discussing the possibility of Fury emerging from retirement to box compatriot Joshua, 35, Arum added: “As you know, I’m not a Brit, so I’m not as fascinated by an Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight as a Brit may be. So, it doesn’t move me that he’s walking away from boxing and walking away from that fight.

“Tyson is a very outward kind of person. He communicates well and reaches out and expresses what he thinks, but that being said, I really don’t know what deep down he’s going to do – because I don’t think he really does.

Anthony Joshua last fought in September, suffering a brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois (PA Archive)

“It’s not for me to support it or condemn it. Nobody is forcing him to do anything. If he wanted to come back and wanted Top Rank [Arum’s promotional company] to be part of the comeback, of course we would be willing to do it.

“That’s up to him. I mean, he’s not an uneducated, stupid kind of guy. Tyson Fury is very smart and very bright. It would be somebody who decided of his own volition to come back, and if he wanted us involved, I would happily be involved.”

Fury was unbeaten until last May, when he was outpointed by Usyk in the first undisputed heavyweight title fight in 25 years. Then, in December, the pair squared off again and produced the same result.

In their rematch, the unified belts were on the line, with Ukraine’s Usyk having vacated the IBF title earlier in the year.