Neil Warnock has never been far from making a joke and this time Tyson Fury is on the receiving end.
On Monday, Fury announced he will retire from boxing, dashing hopes of a successful clash with Anthony Joshua at Wembley this year.
It comes less than a month after he lost again to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia, claiming he was “robbed” in their WBO, WBA and WBC heavyweight title rematch.
This is the fifth time that the Gypsy King has announced his retirement, the first in November 2013, and on the first four occasions he has returned.
And Warnock, who managed 18 different clubs in an expanding career, working two jobs after announcing his retirement in '2022', mocked the 36-year-old.
'Only a few more retirements to catch up, are you behind my record?' he wrote on X with a laughing face emoji while sharing the video of Fury's announcement.
Football icon Neil Warnock mocked Tyson Fury's boxing retirement announcement
On Monday, Fury surprised fans by stating that he would be hanging up his gloves, for the fifth time.
Just hours earlier, promoter Eddie Hearn said he had booked Wembley for a clash between Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Warnock holds the record for most promotions (eight) and most games managed (1,626) in the English Football League. He took charge of Scarborough, Notts County, Huddersfield, Plymouth, Sheffield United, QPR and Cardiff in a long career.
Fury's 17-second video came as a huge shock to fans on Monday, even though he had hinted he might retire following his latest loss to Usyk.
“Hey everyone, I'm going to make this short and sweet,” he said in a clip he shared on social media. 'I would like to announce my retirement from boxing. It has been wonderful, I have loved every minute.
'I'm going to finish this… Dick Turpin was wearing a mask. God bless you all, see you on the other side. GET UP!'
Some wonder if it is genuine, given that Gypsy King previously retired from the sport.
In 2022, Fury revealed he was “done” with boxing after beating Dillian Whyte, only to return at the end of the year after six months to fight Derek Chisora.
After beating Whyte, Fury had said: 'I'm done. Every good dog has his day. As the great Roman leader said, there will always be someone else to fight with. When is enough, enough?
'I'm happy, I'm healthy. I still have my brain, I can talk, I have a beautiful wife, I have six children, countless belts.
Fury last fought in December when he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk by unanimous decision.
Fury has seven children with his wife Paris, whom he met when they were both teenagers.
The larger than life character became world champion in 2015 and has won 34 of 37 fights.
'I have plenty of money, success, fame, glory, what else am I doing it for? “This is definitely the end of the Gypsy King and I came out strong.”
Fury defeated Chisora by technical knockout before beating former MMA star Francis Ngannou by a controversial split decision.
This set up a showdown with Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia, but Fury was forced to pull out of the original date in December 2023 due to his feud with Ngannou.
It was then further delayed after the Gypsy King suffered a nasty cut above his eye, before the rivals finally took to the ring in May 2024.
Fury lost the first fight via split decision, which was the first loss of his professional career, before a rematch was arranged.
However, despite an impressive display, Fury lost again, with this loss coming via unanimous decision.
The 36-year-old, who is a larger than life character, was expected to return to the ring this year in a blockbuster showdown against old rival Joshua.
The two British heavyweights have shared a bitter and long-running rivalry over the years, with constant speculation at times that a long-awaited fight between them will finally take place.
Fury had previously retired in 2022 after beating Dillian Whyte, saying he was “finished”.
Fury's announcement comes after he was expected to fight rival Anthony Joshua in 2025.
Fury battled mental health and drug issues throughout his career, but remains a great British boxer.
However, despite strong public support for a fight and significant speculation and negotiations, a showdown has never materialized.
Earlier this month, rumors circulated on social media that a fight between AJ and Fury had finally been agreed in what would be dubbed 'The Battle of Britain' and possibly the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Joshua had stated that a fight with Fury “had to happen” this year, while Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh similarly expressed his support for the showdown.
Joshua had given more credence to the fight a few weeks ago when he said: “2025, my goal is Tyson Fury.”
Earlier on Monday, Eddie Hearn revealed he had booked Wembley Stadium so the fight could take place in “May or June” but admitted it came down to whether Fury wanted it after the loss to Usyk.
'Yeah. We hope to return to the ring in May or June. “If it ended up being July, it doesn't really matter,” Hearn said at the Ring Awards when asked if he had booked a date at Wembley.
“I still think it depends on Tyson Fury. Until the dust settles on the defeat and where he is at mentally and what he wants to do, that's where we'll really find out.
“Because when you look at the options, what else are you going to do and who else are you going to fight?”