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Boxer Tyson Fury recently announced that he was retiring from the sport. Just like he did in 2013 and 2017. And then again in 2022.

Maybe this time he means it. If he does, it will mean walking away from a lucrative planned fight against Anthony Joshua, which was set to generate over $300 million (£246 million) in revenue.

Not that Fury will have any pressing financial concerns of course. He is reportedly Britain’s highest-ever paid boxer, with estimates putting his net worth between £80 million and £300 million.

But given Fury’s multiple business ventures, he can easily choose to now pivot towards expanding his fortune outside of the ring. The 36-year-old is another example of a celebrity entrepreneur who has been hugely successful in one field and then used their fame to branch into others.

Fury’s Many Options

In Fury’s case, his current projects include an energy drink, ice lollies, and protein bars. There’s a Netflix series too, so he’s unlikely to be bored in retirement (if he sticks to it, of course).

Social media is likely to help Fury if he wants to develop his business interests, as a crucial element of his ongoing brand value. Luckily for him, this is another space where he packs a considerable punch. He has 6.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.2 million on X, and 2.2 million on Facebook.

For athletes seeking to pursue an entrepreneurial path after they’re done with elite competition, social media has become a crucial tool. With the right numbers, it can be an easy way to amplify their personal brand and smooth the transition from sporting excellence to things like fashion, entertainment, and food and drink.

Fury’s numbers put him in an excellent position to launch and promote consumer products. Or indeed, to promote social causes, and change some of the media narrative that surrounds him as an outspoken and sometimes controversial showman. He has previously used his popularity to raise awareness against social causes like youth knife crime, for example.

Similarly, when swimmer Michael Phelps retired, he became well-known as a mental health advocate. Former Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry used his status to campaign against racism and bullying.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Media Matters

A lot of retired sports personalities these days seem to be following David Beckham’s celebrity and entrepreneurial branding pathway. One of the best-known footballers on the planet, he has a vast social media following (over 88 million followers on Instagram), and has branched out into the worlds of sportswear, grooming products, and video games, to name but a few.

Gary Lineker, soon to end his 26-year reign as presenter of Match of the Day, is well known for his commercial connection to a brand of potato crisp. In recent years, he has also made a big success out of the podcast boom, with his company Goalhanger.

Certainly, the media is a popular route for many athletes after their playing days are over. Former Premier League players Gary Neville (Manchester United) and Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) are among the highest-paid UK sports pundits on television channels like Sky Sports and ITV. Rio Ferdinand (also Manchester United), who has done plenty of punditry himself, now appears to be focusing on building his own personal brand alongside running a successful podcast with 1.26 million subscribers.

When former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster was approaching retirement, he started documenting the behind-the-scenes life of a football player. His vlogs became an important part in the resurgence and world fame of Wrexham FC.

Elsewhere, triple tennis grand slam winner Andy Murray has hinted at a possible acting and stage career after retirement. In the meantime, he agreed to coach his former rival Novak Djokovic and is also involved in multiple brand deals.

Mixed martial artist Conor McGregor co-created a whiskey brand. Cristiano Ronaldo has capitalized on his massive social media following to promote his CR7 brand.

Post-Sports Well-Being and Prosperity

This kind of branching out has been described by researchers as “reconstructing athletic identity,” which has come to be seen as an important coping mechanism for athletes dealing with the loss of identity that some professional sportsmen and women experience post-retirement.

Research suggests that athletes who come to the end of their sporting careers can face significant long-term challenges, including distress, depression, and substance misuse.

For some athletes, social media can help them to ease the transition away from elite sports. It has opened up a direct channel to consumers and fans which allows them to maintain a high level of social engagement — as they switch from the athletic arena to a new competitive world as entrepreneurs. And while this may count towards astute financial planning for retirement, it can also have a meaningful impact on their general well-being.

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will retire from boxing, ending a decorated career spanning nearly two decades, he announced Monday on Instagram.

“Hi everybody, I’m gonna make this short and sweet,” Fury said in a video posted to the social media platform. “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of it.”

Fury (34-2-1) previously announced his retirement in 2022 but returned to the ring later that year to fight Derek Chisora. He went on to additional bouts with Francis Ngannou and Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury, 36, was unbeaten through the first 35 bouts of his career. He then lost two consecutive title bouts to Usyk — on May 18 and Dec. 21.

He started his career with 27-consecutive victories before a draw with American Deontay Wilder in 2018. He went on to beat Wilder in two rematches.

Fury, whose other retirement announcements came in 2013 and 2017, also referred to 18th-century highway robber and horse thief Dick Turpin in his latest retirement message.

“I’m going to end with this,” Fury said. “Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side.”

Former heavyweight title challenger Dillian Whyte has criticised Anthony Joshua for not pursuing an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois following his devastating knockout loss at Wembley Stadium last September, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

“He made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois,” Whyte told Sky Sports News.

“It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity. He will forever have to suffer the memes of being face-planted at Wembley by Dubois.”

The 36-year-old Whyte, who lost to Joshua by seventh-round stoppage in their first encounter a decade ago, drew parallels with his own experience after suffering defeat to Alexander Povetkin.

“When I lost to Povetkin, I crashed Eddie Hearn’s live interview and demanded the rematch. Nothing else mattered until I beat him in the rematch. It’s a mindset thing. I want to fight AJ and Tyson again because they both beat me.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Joshua has seven different options for his next fight, including a potential rematch with Whyte, who was scheduled to face the two-time heavyweight champion in 2023 before the bout was cancelled due to a failed drugs test.

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois

Meanwhile, IBF champion Dubois is set to defend his title against Joseph Parker in Riyadh on February 22, with the winner potentially securing a future bout with Joshua.

Joshua’s career appears to be at a crossroads following Tyson Fury’s shock retirement announcement, which has scuppered hopes of their long-awaited British showdown.

However, Hearn believes Fury’s retirement might be temporary, telling the Daily Mail, “None of us know what Fury will do next, but if we are to see the fight in the summer, he would probably have to come out of retirement in the next three or four weeks.”

The promoter had earlier suggested Fury’s announcement could be a negotiating tactic, telling iFL TV, “If you ever want to come back and get the max, you have to retire first, haven’t you? Someone then has to bring you out of retirement.”

Joshua, who recently visited Nigeria and met with President Bola Tinubu, has remained silent on Fury’s retirement, with Hearn noting his fighter’s characteristically reserved response to the news.

Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua needed to pursue an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois after his brutal defeat.

Joshua was dropped three times in the shock defeat to British rival Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September, in a damaging blow to his hopes of being in the world title mix.

AJ is coming to the back end of his career and was expected to face Dubois in an immediate sequel this year, spurred on by the opportunity of revenge.

But the fight collapsed and now the former two-time champion is waiting to see what the year brings in terms of a potential opponent.

It appeared the British heavyweight was waiting to see if he can lure Tyson Fury into a blockbuster, but the ‘Gypsy King’ recently announced his retirement.

And Whyte, who was beaten by Joshua in 2015, believes the rematch was necessary to write his wrongs before being able to move on.

Whyte told Sky Sports: “He made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois.

“It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity. He will forever have to suffer the memes of being face-planted at Wembley by Dubois.

“When I lost to [Alexander] Povetkin, I crashed Eddie Hearn’s live interview and demanded the rematch.

“Nothing else mattered until I beat him in the rematch. It’s a mindset thing. I want to fight AJ and Tyson again because they both beat me.”

Whyte himself looked set to rematch Joshua last August but the fight was cancelled after one of his drug tests returned an adverse finding.

But now the ‘Body Snatcher’ wants the rematch again, which could be an alternative option for Joshua in 2025.

He added: “[Joshua] Sounds perfect for me. They don’t need to ask me twice.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

“They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me, so it’s just negotiation tactics from them.

“But I’m up for the fight and I’m ready to fight again. If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me.

“I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished.”

Joshua could feasibly agree to face Whyte, with a showdown against Fury now seemingly off the table.

But he still possesses an interest in rematching Dubois, despite ‘Dynamite’ making his next IBF title defence against Joseph Parker on February 22.

Dubois is also determined to now move forward and suggested he would look to pursue a sequel with Oleksandr Usyk, which could be for the undisputed titles.

Joshua could also have numerous other options on the table, with promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting he could face Martin Bakole or Deontay Wilder.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: Teddy Atlas picks winner for all-British showdown

There was plenty of excitement amongst boxing fans at the start of 2025 with it looking likely that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would finally meet inside the ring.

With both men seemingly out of the world title picture and the curtain beginning to come down on two memorable careers, it looked like a Battle of Britain would be the perfect way to bow out of boxing.

However, these plans were thrown into disarray after Fury announced last week his decision to retire.

While this did produce a shock, many within boxing are taking this news with a pinch of salt with Fury known for reversing numerous retirement decisions in the past.

Some have even decided to applaud Fury as he uses retirement as a negotiation tactic to get a bigger purse for a showdown with AJ.

Regardless of whether this fight materialises, it is still a hotly debated topic with renowned boxing analyst Teddy Atlas the latest to make his pick when it comes to finding a winner.

“Whoever has more left of themselves, who didn’t leave more of themselves in the ring,” Atlas told CanadaCasino.ca.

“In the last few fights AJ left a lot of himself in the ring. You leave parts of yourself in the ring. He’s a gutsy guy. He had a great career. Obviously everyone loves him. But a part of him was left in the ring.

“Part of Tyson Fury was left in the ring in those [Deontay] Wilder fights. We forget. It removed a little bit from him.  Also that first [Oleksandr] Usyk. That ninth round, he left parts of himself in that ring.”

“That’s what it’ll come down to now. I if I was to venture, Joshua has more physically left, but Fury to me was always stronger mentally, and I have to stick by what I’ve said forever. I think that at the end it’s 75% mental, and if that shows itself to be true, then I would go with Fury always being a little stronger on the mental side than Joshua.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

“I think Joshua is a gutsy guy. I think he showed a lot coming back and facing the devil after he got knocked out by [Andy] Ruiz, he changed his style. He did what he had to do, but he faced the devil. He came back in that fight. He’s shown a strong constitution, a strong mental toughness to do that. There’s no doubt about that. But at the at the same time, Fury’s mentality has been really his greatest strength”

Fury may be done with the sport of boxing, but Joshua certainly is not and according to his promoter Eddie Hearn, there are seven possible opponents for the Olympian, with an official announcement yet to be made.

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Claressa Shields says that Laila Ali is “jealous” of her success with her “hater energy.”

The back and forth kicked off after an interview featuring Ali on Andre Ward’s All The Smoke Fight podcast went public on Tuesday (Jan. 14). The video found the former boxer discussing her in-ring rivalries, as the conversation found itself on Shields. The Miami Beach native revealed that Claressa once reached out to find mentorship in Ali, hoping to get career advice after Shields won the Olympics in 2012. Shortly after, Ali recalls being invited to The Breakfast Club and Sway’s Universe to promote her cookbook and during this conversation, the hosts asked her if she would ever come back to boxing.

Despite Ali saying nice things about Claressa and the boxers at that time, Ali insisted that there wasn’t anything that inspired her enough to want to return to the ring. Shields apparently heard the comments and took offense to the language, resulting in their decades-long feud and the woman questioning Ali’s resumè.

“You can think you can beat me,” Ali said. “That’s fine. You’re supposed to think that. But to start going in on my legacy, what I have and haven’t done… that’s a lot.”

Ali ended her conversation by offering advice to the Flint, Michigan native, insisting that she could probably get further in her career if she were to “stop burning bridges.”

“I don’t have any hard feelings against Clarissa in general, because I got a lot going on over here, you already know, to be worried about any of these young girls like that,” the 47-year-old woman said. “But at the same time, I see that she gets into it with a lot of people.”

Claressa Shields and Laila Ali

Much like in the 2010s, Claressa recently heard Ali’s comments and decided to unload on the former Women’s Boxing Champion.

Shields responded in a 5-minute rant, not holding back on what she perceives as the main issue between the two women. The 29-year-old said Ali was “jealous” of her success, especially because she has made it further than where Laila was when she was her age. The current women’s boxing champion then stated that she hasn’t burnt and bridges with people that matter in her life, claiming that she is already successful and will continue to “make it further” than Ali ever made it.

“I’ve been come to terms that she’s jealous,” Shields expressed. “Now, I got the biopic. I got the fight coming up. She act like I owe her something, it’s weird.“

“I’m trying to figure out why when it comes to me, here she comes. Today she really offended me. She said burning bridges and if I keep burning bridges, I won’t get very far,” Shields said. “I’ve gotten further in my career and in my life than Laila Ali… She wanna come and give this big sister advice… but I’ve already made it further than you… and I’m going to keep making it further than you.”

The self-proclaimed “GWOAT” then asserted that, “This is my era now, and she has never supported me in my era,” before ending her lengthy rant.

Merab Dvalishvili channels Mike Tyson with outrageous ‘broken back’ claim after UFC 311 win

‘The Machine’ lived up to his nickname as he used superior cardio to outpoint Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 on Saturday night.

Merab Dvalishvili worried fans by talking about retirement during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

The 34-year-old continued to say outrageous things when he spoke with the media backstage at Dana White‘s first pay-per-view show of 2025.

Merab Dvalishvili reveals serious injuries after UFC 311

It was revealed that Umar Nurmagomedov broke his hand in the first round after UFC 311.

A picture of his swollen knuckles went viral before Dvalishvili was asked to react to the news.

The proud Georgian fighter responded by revealing the serious injury he dealt with before UFC 311.

“I broke my back during the training camp,” Dvalishvili said.

“It was [so bad] some days I couldn’t get up from the bed, and I was laid down, and I wouldn’t have a training camp, and I don’t have a cousin like Khabib Nurmagomedov to help me with training.

“Some days the UFC PI was closed. It was Christmas, New Year, and weekends. It happened a couple of times, Umar was there, and the secretary goes, ‘Sorry, we can’t let you in’.

“I’m not making this excuse. You’re a f***ing fighter and you’ve got to find a way to win.”

It’s currently unclear if Dvalishvili’s broken back has been confirmed by an X-ray, or if he’s just using that word to refer to another form of injury to his spine.

Mike Tyson made similar claim in famous interview

Amazingly, this isn’t the first time a famous fighter has claimed to be nursing a broken back after picking up a high-profile win.

Mike Tyson said he was dealing with the same injury as Dvalishvili during the final win of his Hall of Fame boxing career, which saw him bounce back from being stopped by Lennox Lewis by beating Clifford Etienne in February 2023.

‘Iron Mike’ scored a 49-second knockout before hopping on the mic and giving an all-time great post-fight interview, which saw him disclose a very serious injury.

“I broke my back. My back is broken,” Tyson famously said.

“[It was] spinal. I broke my back. I don’t even know how I’m standing. It’s a miracle.

“The doctor took me to the pain center, and I wasn’t supposed to fight, but what am I supposed to do? I’m going to take care of my family.”

In 2020, Tyson clarified his comments by pointing out that he dealt with chronic back pain after suffering serious injuries during a high-speed motorbike accident, which resulted in surgery in 1997.

“Well listen right, I have a bad back and since all of the work that I’ve put over the years, the spine in my back just starts shifting,” he explained.

“I have to get the operation but the doctor said, ‘Hey eventually you’re gonna have to start bending over.’

“And so, I was trying to explain my situation. I just wasn’t eloquent enough to explain it in the way I wanted it to be explained.”

Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua Silent After Tyson Fury’s Shock Retirement Announcement

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua has remained quiet following Tyson Fury’s sudden announcement of retirement.

The news came on Monday when Fury, known as the ‘Gypsy King,’ declared he was stepping away from boxing after suffering a defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last month.

“Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” Fury said in his retirement post.

“I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It has been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I’m going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

The announcement has sent shockwaves through the boxing world, seemingly putting an end to the possibility of a long-anticipated clash between Fury and Joshua.

The fight, touted as a historic £150 million event, was expected to take place in 2025, offering both fighters a chance to restore their legacies following recent defeats.

Despite the buzz, Hearn shared that Joshua has not reacted to the news and remains focused on his own career.

Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said, “Listen, one… we don’t really take it too seriously. Two… if it is serious, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway.”

“What do you think goes on? Do you think Josh is going to phone me up and go, ‘Oh Ed, have you seen the news, mate?’ He’s not that kind of guy.”

When asked if he had received any word from Joshua since Fury’s announcement, Hearn responded, “Not one,” before speculating on Fury’s intentions:

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

“He could have been doing it because he’s got the ump. He could have been doing it for some attention. He could have been doing it because it’s true. What’s the point in guessing?”

A Negotiating Tactic?

In a separate interview, Hearn expressed skepticism over the sincerity of Fury’s announcement, suggesting it might be a strategic move.

“I’m not going to accuse him of not being genuine, but I think you get a better deal coming out of retirement,” Hearn explained.

“Or maybe he just hasn’t got the stomach for it anymore. He got beat twice and has had enough. I doubt it, but who knows? I don’t know him well enough to know, but maybe he’s done.”

Despite Fury’s claims, Hearn remains optimistic about a potential showdown between Joshua and Fury.

“My gut feeling is we will see AJ against Fury this summer. But maybe he’s for real.”

It’s an inspirational sports movie about a young athlete with a rough background, beating the odds. So far, so predictable. But “The Fire Inside” is not your typical biopic.

It tells the incredible story of American boxer Claressa Shields who grew up in extreme poverty and went on to win two Olympic gold medals. The first one aged just 17. But it’s her fight for equal pay outside the ring that makes her story punch above its weight.

Mike Tyson has supported Donald Trump across all three of his presidential campaigns, but the two New Yorkers have not always gotten along.

Tyson – who returned to the ring last year, losing a unanimous decision to YouTuber Jake Paul in a bout broadcast on Netflix – has a long history with Trump owing to the businessman’s involvement and interest in boxing in the 1980s.

The former world heavyweight champion spoke firmly in favour of Trump in the lead up to the 2020 US election.

“I’m voting for Trump,” he snapped. “So what’s somebody going to do about it?

“I like Donald Trump and I’m gonna vote for him. So what?

“What are you gonna do? Shoot me? Beat me up?”

And in an interview with The Daily Caller ahead of the 2016 election, Tyson said of Trump: “When I see him, he shakes my hand and respects my family. None of them – Barack [Obama], whoever – nobody else does that. They’re gonna be who they are and disregard me, my family.

“So I’m voting for him. If I can get 200,000 people or more to vote for him, I’m gonna do it.

“We’re really good friends. We go back to ’86, ’87. Most of my successful and best fights were at Trump’s hotels. He didn’t manage me, though. He was just helping me with my court case.”

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson

But according to a story recounted by author Tim O’Brien in his book TrumpNation, Tyson almost came to blows with the former star of The Apprentice when he suspected Trump was having an affair with his wife in the late 1990s.

The book quotes Trump saying: “He said, ‘Could I ask you, are you f***ing my wife?’

“Now, if I froze, I’m dead… You would have zero chance. Here’s the heavyweight champion of the world, and he’s a solid piece of f***ing armour.”

In how own autobiography, Tyson described the punch he swung at Trump upon storming into his New York office that day as “the best punch I’ve ever thrown in my entire life”.