Tyson Fury has toyed with the idea of retirement throughout the heyday of his career - yet despite numerous attempts at hanging up his gloves, he continues to enter battle with some of the world's best heavyweight boxing stars.
Fury knocked out Dillian Whyte in six rounds back in April's bout at Wembley Stadium, and not for the first time in his career, announced that he would be retiring shortly after the fight. Claiming this would be to focus on his family life and to enjoy sitting back and relaxing after his illustrious career, a U-turn was quickly performed back in October when it was announced that Fury would be back in the ring to face Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight, December 3.
With the battle against Chisora on the horizon, fans are speculating once again as to whether this will be Fury's last fight, or if more retirement speculation will radiate afterwards. But just how old is Fury, and when can we expect him to retire?
Follow LIVE Fury vs Chisora fight night updates HERE
Fury is 34 years of age, having celebrated his birthday back in mid-August. Of course, that means his career is winding down to a close, with an estimated guess of three to four years left in his career based off of the average career span.
Though with a three-year hiatus from professional boxing between November 2015 and June 2018, there may well be more fuel left in the tank for the 'Gypsy King' to strut his stuff in the ring for a few more years yet.
After his fight with Whyte in April, Fury said that he would be stepping away from the game - though early in September, he reversed the decision as he was 'bored with retirement'.
“I got bored with retirement,” Fury told Ring magazine. “I had five months out the ring and I changed my mind. “Nobody believed me anyway, did they? I would still have passed a lie detector test, though, for sure.”
He backed those claims up earlier this week with a funny quip about looking after his dog. Fury said to The Sportsman : "I get home, I’m retired and I’m taking the kids to school, walking the dog, picking up dog s***, and I'm thinking like, I've traded being heavyweight champion of the world to picking up dog s*** on the side of the road. Like, what am I doing? I’m not built for normal life I don’t think. I don't think I can ever go back to that.
"I don't know if I can ever be ready for retirement and this is the problem. Right now, I'm in a very big dilemma with boxing because I’m in my prime. I’m worn out basically, however, I’m still undefeated and still going.
"How long will this last? How long can I keep going for? And what happens when it’s not there any more? The answer to that question is that I don’t know and that's why I'm back."
Essentially, Fury's hot-and-cold nature means that we never quite know when he will be ready to take up retirement once and for all; especially taking full leave away from the game. One thing is for certain, though - I wouldn't expect him to retire after this weekend's bout against Chisora.
READ NEXT:
- Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora 3 ring walk and start time
- Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora radio stream: How to listen to live commentary
- How old is Tyson Fury and when does he plan to retire?
- Tyson Fury record in full ahead of world title fight against Derek Chisora
- Ricky Hatton issues prediction for Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora fight
