Fury surprised everyone on Monday when he announced he's hanging up his gloves. The decision came after two tough losses to Oleksandr Usyk - his first career defeats. Both fights went the full 12 rounds, with Fury getting caught short in the ninth round of the first bout and losing a wider decision in the rematch.
Saunders shared his thoughts on Fury's retirement with talkSPORT Boxing. He said:
"If you look at what Tyson Fury has done now for himself, but for the British fans and the sport of boxing … if he wants to retire he can. But me knowing Tyson, if he gets bored it won't take a lot for him to come out of retirement."
But Saunders thinks it'll take a mountain of cash to get Fury back in fighting shape. He believes Fury mentioned a figure of 500 million for a potential fight.
"He's probably earned 500 million, what does he need to go back in training camp for now, put himself under stress and take shots as a heavyweight at his age? … I think that it would be a lot of money for Tyson to have to do that, and I believe the figure he's mentioned, they'll have to meet that sort of criteria for the fight to happen."
Saunders added:
"This is what I believe… no fight is worth 500 million. It if it's split two ways then can that happen? I don't know. It all depends where the fight is, how big is it, what public interest. There's all that before any financial decisions. I know one thing, it will have to be the biggest payday yet for him to come out of retirement."
Fans are already talking about a potential farewell fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua. They say it'd be a better way for Fury to bow out. While it might not hit the 500 million mark, it could still involve some eye-watering sums and drum up a lot of public interest.
Fury's had quite a career. He's a former two-time world champion, lineal champion, and has held British, Commonwealth, and European belts. His recent losses to Usyk were hard-fought battles, showing he's still a top-tier fighter even in defeat.
For now, we'll have to wait and see if anyone can meet Fury's hefty price tag and tempt him back into the ring. One thing's for sure - it'll take more than pocket change to get 'The Gypsy King' lacing up his gloves again.