Tyson Fury's 'Dick Turpin wore a mask' statement and what it means as he retires from boxing

Tyson Fury has perplexed fans by using an old-English idiom to announce his retirement from boxing.

At 37, the Gypsy King has confirmed that he will step away from the ring, just a month after his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. Speculation had been rife about potential epic showdowns with Anthony Joshua, but Fury's announcement appears to dash any hopes of seeing the two British titans go head-to-head.

Instead, it seems Fury is set to enjoy the substantial wealth he's accumulated from the sport, especially from his two high-stakes encounters with Usyk and a profitable bout with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. But as he made his announcement on social media, he also issued a cryptic message.

In a brief 17-second video, recorded on his mobile phone while in his car, Fury quoted an old saying to signal his departure from the sport. He said: "Hi everybody! I'm going to make this short and sweet. I would like to announce my retirement from boxing.

"It's been a blast. I've loved every single minute of it, and I am going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody. See you on the other side."

Dick Turpin was an infamous, mask-wearing robber from Essex in the 18th century, known for his highway heists. The expression 'at least Dick Turpin wore a mask' is commonly used by individuals who feel they have been blatantly cheated or robbed.

It's likely Fury is, again, referring to his two defeats to Usyk. After both bouts, Fury insisted he was hard done by on both occasions, even claiming Usyk was crowned the victor of their first bout via a split-decision because the Ukrainian's homeland is at war.

Following his second defeat, a visibly frustrated Fury left the ring quickly upon seeing the