Who is Dick Turpin? Why Tyson Fury referenced the notorious criminal in his boxing retirement

Tyson Fury, 36, announced his retirement from professional boxing on Monday morning via his social media accounts.

Fury (34-2-1), a two-time world heavyweight champion, suffered back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

"Hi everybody. I'm gonna make this short and sweet: I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing," Fury said. "It's been a blast. I've loved every single minute of it, and I'm going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side."

Boxing fans who are not from the U.K. were likely left confused by the Dick Turpin reference.

Turpin was a notorious English robber in the 18th century. He was a highwayman, which meant that he stole from travelers.

What Fury means by "Dick Turpin wore a mask" is that Turpin at least attempted to conceal his identity when robbing people, because he was aware of the consequences if he were to be caught — he would get executed, which he did in 1739.

The Brit is likely referencing his two defeats to Usyk. Fury believed he won both contests but walked away with losses in both instances, particularly in the rematch, which Fury was adamant he won by "at least 3 rounds." Fury could be insinuating that the judges in the fights didn't even attempt to hide their crimes and robbed him for all to see, "in broad daylight," as it were.

In the post-fight press conference for last month's rematch, Fury joked that the scorecards in his rematch with Usyk were "an early Christmas present" for the Ukrainian.

Fury's Turpin reference may also be subtle commentary on potential dissatisfaction with negotiations for a long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua, which Joshua teased on Saturday was his primary target for 2025. Despite both men coming off recent losses in 2024, Fury vs. Joshua remains one of the biggest fights that can be made it in boxing, particularly in the U.K.