Former trainer Teddy Altas supports Tyson Fury’s retirement from the sport after his second defeat against Oleksandr Usyk. Atlas feels the 36-year-old Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) has fought many wars during his career, and he’d like to see him go out now rather than hang on and become a shell of himself.
Fury looked the same as usual in his loss to unified heavyweight champion Usyk on December 21st. The problem was that he was facing a good fighter, not a journeyman, paper champion, or old Wladimir Klitschko. Usyk had actual talent and wasn’t washed up. He showed Tyson’s level.
No one believes Fury will stay retired because he will come back, likely for two to four fights, as long as Turki Al-Sheikh keeps paying him big dough.
“Time to Hang Up the Gloves”
“I think it’s time. Everyone says, ‘Don’t give up.’ It’s beautiful, it’s right, it’s important, but he’s lived it,” said Teddy Atlas to Fighthype about him being in favor of Tyson Fury retiring.
“He’s been involved in so many tough fights. He was involved in those [three] Wilder fights. Those fights take a lot out of you. Then he was involved in the first Usyk fight. Some people think he might have even won the 12th round in that fight.
“Usyk won that fight, but for Fury to come back and win the 12th was incredible. To take that kind of punishment [in the ninth round of his first fight with Usyk], and to take the kind of punishment he did in the Wilder fights, you’re leaving parts of yourself in the ring.
Fury should retire, given that he’s been exposed as a fake and his ability to beat any of the good heavyweights in the division is minimal, but he won’t. He’ll come back because Turki Al-Sheikh will offer him money for two or three fights against Anthony Joshua.
If Fury emerges victorious from those three fights in one piece, you can bet Turki will encourage him to fight whoever is at the top of the division by then.
“I don’t want to see great fighters leave when they’re a shadow of themselves when it’s not them. If it’s true [retirement for Fury], all I can say is congratulations,” said Atlas. “Thank you. Good luck. Enjoy the laurels of the great battles you put in there in the ring. Enjoy your family.”
Was Fury Ever Truly Great?
Let’s be clear. Fury was never remotely a “great” fighter. So, Atlas is going a little overboard including Fury’s name among true greats, like Muhammad Ali and Joe Loius. The Gypsy King was just a 21st-century, well-maneuvered fighter, matched against an old, washed-up 39-year-old Wladimir Klitschko.
Fury used victory from that fight to make a fortune by beating lesser fighters, like Deontay Wilder, Otto Wallin, Dillian Whyte, Dereck Chisora, and Francis Ngannou. When Fury finally fought his first good fighter, Oleksandr Usyk, he lost twice. It’s not that he was over-the-hill, but rather that he was never what the naive public thought.
“I’d be happy if that’s the decision he’s made, and he can stick with it, and he’s happy with it,” said Atlas.
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