World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury claims he could be hanging up his boxing gloves following his victory against Dillian Whyte.
The 33-year-old described his victory as his “final curtain”, adding “There’s nothing more I can do. If this was a computer game it would definitely be completed, for sure.”
Fury is now worth a massive £130million. While he could just put up his feet, Fury just doesn’t seem the type to sit around and do nothing.
There’s already speculation that he could make a return to fight Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua - but if the Gypsy King doesn’t fancy that what could he do instead?
“There are a few options out there for what Tyson could do next, as he has global attention,” says PR expert Mark Borkowski. “With another career it’s about jumping on the horse and keeping it running and sustaining it.”
Music
Fury is well known for serenading his fans with his post-match victory performances, with his favourite song to sing being Don McClean’s 1970 hit American Pie.
He’s sung it several times in public, and performed it again in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley on Saturday. Fury has even done a new rendition of the song with Don complete with a boxing-themed music video.
Don has said of Fury’s covers. “He did very well. I would say he’s the number one bar room singer. Excellent job.”
With his rockstar swagger and ability to always gets the crowd singing along to his performances whether they happen in the ring or an impromptu performance of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, could he soon be packing out stadiums for his crooning not just his boxing? After all it’s just a different kind of hits... Covers maybe of Ring My Bell, The Fugees Rumble In The Jungle or Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer.
Soap/reality star
As the most successful Manchester export since Coronation Street - could there be a role on the Cobbles for the Wythenshawe-born superstar if he turned thespian?
It might sound ridiculous, but Tyson wouldn’t be the first boxer on the show - actor Steve Bell who played Luke Quinn in 2010 captained the England boxing team in the Commonwealth Games eight years before.
Tyson’s more likely move, however, would be into reality TV. The Furys are known for their lavish lifestyles in their £1.7million castle - perhaps we could see a Keeping Up with the Kardashians style fly-on-the wall reality series coming soon.... Fighting On With The Furys maybe?
In 2020, Tyson, who has six children with Paris, had his own three-part ITV show Tyson Fury : The Gypsy King, which focused on his mental health battles as he prepared for the fight to reclaim his heavyweight champion of the world title.
Meanwhile his half-brother Tommy, also a boxer, shot to fame on the 2019 series of Love Island where he met current girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague.
Tommy has ambitions to star in a show with his half-sibling. He said: “I already know I would 100% want me and Tyson to do a show together. We’re two contrasting characters, so I think that would be a fun route for us to go down.”
“If there’s a big enough market for a reality TV series to sustain it in America I could see it happening - it could be run the risk of being a one-hit wonder here,” says Mark. “ Netflix are on the lookout for new shows, and this kind of content vehicle could create a Gypsy King narrative for a reality series.”
Wrestling/MMA
Fury is reportedly already eyeing up a move to pro-wrestling, saying that the next time he is likely to fight will be at the company’s SummerSlam events in either Nevada or Cardiff later this year.
He was first seen taking part in a WWE event in Saudi Arabia in 2019, where he defeated wrestler Braun Strowman. Tyson said: “I enjoyed it last time in Saudi Arabia. It was fantastic. We’re going to be in contact and see if we can make SummerSlam a reality.”
Tyson’s wife Paris, 32, has also hinted at her husband’s new career path, recently saying it’s definitely happening as he is in touch with WWE owner Vince McMahon all the time.
Going into mixed martial arts could be another way for Fury to stay fighting. He says he wants to fight the current UFC champion, Francis Ngannou, under special hybrid conditions in 2023.
Tyson said: “I think everyone wants to see it. He’s a monster of a guy, I’m a monster of a guy, so it will be a clash of the titans.”
“MMA and wrestling has all of the histrionics and pantomime that Tyson could exploit,” says Mark. “That would be a sweet spot for him.”
Politics
Boris Johnson had the ambition to be king of the world and Fury is already the Gypsy King, so who knows what’s possible.
Tyson’s dad John Fury recently made an April Fool’s joke that he wanted to stand for Mayor of Manchester - and this could remind his son of the political ambitions he had back in 2015.
Then, the future world champ claimed he wanted to fight in an election battle against his local Conservative MP David Morris. Tyson said he wanted to stand as an independent in Morecambe and Lunesdale, as there was too much focus on immigration and not enough on those who were on the streets abusing drugs and alcohol.
“I want to make a change for the better for the place I live,” he added. “I believe that I will succeed because of the influence I have over the people from the town.”
These ambitions didn’t come to fruition and David Morris remains Tyson’s local MP - but retiring could free him up to contest the seat at the next general election, currently expected to take place in 2024.
However, Mark can’t see Fury as an MP. He says: “I wouldn’t rule it out for definite - Donald Trump was a reality TV businessman who became US President, but I think it’s unlikely.”
Restauranter
A fan of eating out, Tyson has been papped in several restaurants over the years from celebrity haunt Sheesh in Chigwell, Essex, (above) to Nando’s - where he reportedly bought £700 worth of chicken for everybody in the Manchester branch when he visited in 2018.
So, could he follow fellow sports stars Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs into opening a restaurant in Manchester?
With Fury being a big fan of meat - he takes delivery of a mega 24-stone’s worth of it every month from a butcher, we reckon Fury’s Firehouse could end up being the city’s hottest new venue.
Mark, however, thinks this could be something further down the line - and more likely to be in New York or Las Vegas. He adds: “When he’s old and flabby he could have some sort of bar in America where there are lots of pictures of him in his heyday.”
Wherever Fury does open a restaurant, there will be no surf with the turf - the one thing it won’t be serving will be live lobsters. In October, he was videoed buying two lobsters for £158 from a venue in Marbella, telling waiters: “Take the elastic bands off his flippers, and I’m going to set him free in the sea” before releasing the creatures.
Strongman
At 6ft 9in and weighing in at almost 19 stone, Fury has the physique to compete in the World’s Strongest Man contest, taking on the incumbent Scot Tom Stoltman to use his strength to pull buses and lift heavy Atlas stones.
Events like the Farmer’s Walk - carrying two massive logs and vehicle pull - which can be anything from a tram or bus to a plane, would bring out the never-say-die competitive spirit in Fury.
In March, former World’s Strongest Man title holder-turned-boxer Hafthor Bjornsson claimed he would like to take on Tyson in a match, but said he would “100% get his a** beat.”
“It sounds crazy on my behalf to go against the world’s best boxer in the heavyweight division,” added Hafthor.
“If a big a** guy like him wants to fight and feel real power, then I’m down for it.”
If it happens, Hafthor could return the favour and share some of his own strongman secrets with Tyson - and Mark says this is something Tyson would be able to do, but it would be less lucrative for him than fighting.
Fashion
Tyson always makes fashion statements, whether he is walking into the ring or chilling out at home. A major fan of Italian designer Versace, he has posed on social media in a range of different outfits, including a matching £1,000 set with wife Paris, 32, which they wore on a date night together.
Even his casual wear is flamboyant - he has a pair of £590 slippers and a £355 bathrobe from the brand. In 2017, Donatella Versace designed a boxing robe for Tyson with his name on it, so it’s possible they could go further and collaborate on a Tyson Fury X Versace range.
Tyson is also known for his bespoke suits made by his designer Navid Salimian of Claudio Lugli who says they all tell a story and even include secret messaging in the pinstripes, such as “you big dosser”, which Tyson wore in 2020 to insult and throw off rival Wilder.
They are a collaborative approach between Tyson and Navid, with the ideas usually originating in the former’s head - proving his creative fashion designer credentials - before Navid turns it around.
The pair currently have a joint venture selling £90 shirts on the Claudio Lugli under The Gypsy King collection. While for now Navid says: “Tyson is the bearer of the sole suit. Each outfit that we create is a limited edition”, that may change should Tyson retire.
“Fashion is something he could do, but he needs a bigger vehicle and a constant drip of publicity so it’s not just a flashy quick win,” Mark says.
Movies
Several boxers have gone into acting post-retirement, including Mike Tyson who was praised for his funny turn in The Hangover Part 2 - and Fury could follow his namesake down this career path.
Last year, he was sent a video by Rocky star Sylvester Stallone, who praised him for his boxing victories and raised the possibility he be cast in the next version of the Expendables action movie series. Sylvester said: “You have a fantastic career in movies. So, the next Expendables? Done deal!”
Over the years, Tyson has styled himself as ‘The Furious One’ and ‘2 Fast’ Fury - so a role in the Fast & Furious franchise joining fellow fighter The Rock would be ideal. Tyson has also said he wants The Rock to play him in a movie of his life story.
Join the debate! Which career path should Fury go down if he retires? Let us know your verdict below.
There could also be a part for Tyson as an antagonist to gangster Tommy Shelby in the planned Peaky Blinders movie - in the fourth series of the TV show, there were references to an enemy Fury family. Tyson himself is a fan of the show, saying when he took on Deontay Wilder last October: “I’m like Tommy Shelby here, I’ve got them all on the payroll.”
“Tyson has a character and presence, and guys like him,” says Mark. “I could see him being a fighter who become a hard man movie star, especially if he was given the right script. If somebody such as Vinnie Jones can make it, why not him?”.
