I'll never come back - Tyson Fury's last dance?

MORECAMBE, England — Even as a child, Tyson Fury never envisioned an occupation other than his present one: heavyweight champion of the world. In his marvelously grandiose way of thinking — something required of a real heavyweight champ, which is to say, a fighter for whom mythology and marketing are one in the same — it was destiny, perhaps prophesy, and without question, God's will. But now that he's fully in his prime, as a fighter and an attraction — 94,000 tickets sold, most in a matter of hours, for his title defense against Dillian Whyte this Saturday at Wembley Stadium — Fury is vowing to retire.

«After this fight, I'm walking away,» he told me. «A lot of people don't believe me. I seen me dad do an interview the other day, 'He ain't gonna walk away. He can't live without boxing.' But that's where they all underestimate the big GK [for Gypsy King], I can live without boxing.»

C'mon.

«I'm two-time heavyweight champion of the world,» says Fury, still just 32. «Undefeated in my 13 going on 14-year campaign as a professional. Won every single belt there is to win. Broke a lot of records. Done a lot of good....»

Yeah, but...

«Helped a lot of people.»

But what in retirement could possibly nourish that heavyweight ego?

«I helped meself,» he goes on, oblivious to my apparent cynicism, «helped me family. Secured the rest of our days. I'm going out with a bang. What more is there?»

Well, there is the matter of those three other belts, currently held by Oleksandr Usyk.

«All of which I've owned previously,» he reminds me.

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Saturday, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+: Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte undercard

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