Boxing is a drug Tyson Fury can't seem to kick.
'The Gypsy King' has hung up his gloves five times during a sporadic 18-year professional career.
Yet no matter how hard he tries, Fury is repeatedly reeled back in.
The most recent of his short-lived retirements came in January last year following a pair of back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury spent just over 12 months on the sidelines, filming documentaries with Netflix, before the 37-year-old finally caved.
He is now set to return to the ring on Saturday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
While the Russian slugger is tailor-made for Fury on paper, his father, John, believes the fight is an unnecessary risk.
Fury Sr insists his son hasn't been the same since his punishing trilogy with Deontay Wilder and wants to see him walk away from the sport for good.
According to John, his relationship with Tyson has been "completely destroyed" by boxing.
They are no longer on talking terms, while John claims he will not attend, nor watch, his son's upcoming clash.
Tyson Fury breaks silence on dad's comments
Addressing the situation for the first time in an interview with Ring Magazine, Fury said: âFor my father, he just wants the best for me.
"He wants me to retire and walk away, but if it was that easy, I would have walked away five times before. I donât have that ability to let go.
"It can affect a lot of stuff, including families.
âMy dad saying heâs not speaking to me, I suppose heâs trying to encourage me to not fight anymore.
"But fightingâs all Iâve ever known and all I ever will know.â
Fury's inability to let go of boxing is a story as old as time.
Roy Jones Jr once insisted he would retire from boxing before it retired him, only to continue competing deep into his fifties, losing to fighters he would have wiped the floor with in his prime.
There is also the tragic tale of the late, great Muhammad Ali, who fought Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick while exhibiting early signs of the debilitating Parkinson's disease that would take a stranglehold on his later life.
âIâve tried to retire so many times, five times, but itâs always dragged me back," added Fury.
"Itâs not for money or achievements, but without boxing, I donât have a purpose in my life, and I donât see a future.
"Iâm not ready for it yet, to not see a future. Iâm 37, at least let me get to 40 before Iâve got no future left.
âIâve tried everything; promoting, managing, and I still do all that stuff right now, but thereâs no thrill of the chase.
"Thereâs nothing like being in there getting punched about by big heavyweights. Itâs a turn on."
'The Gypsy King' has hung up his gloves five times during a sporadic 18-year professional career.
Yet no matter how hard he tries, Fury is repeatedly reeled back in.
The most recent of his short-lived retirements came in January last year following a pair of back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury spent just over 12 months on the sidelines, filming documentaries with Netflix, before the 37-year-old finally caved.
He is now set to return to the ring on Saturday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
While the Russian slugger is tailor-made for Fury on paper, his father, John, believes the fight is an unnecessary risk.
Fury Sr insists his son hasn't been the same since his punishing trilogy with Deontay Wilder and wants to see him walk away from the sport for good.
According to John, his relationship with Tyson has been "completely destroyed" by boxing.
They are no longer on talking terms, while John claims he will not attend, nor watch, his son's upcoming clash.
Tyson Fury breaks silence on dad's comments
Addressing the situation for the first time in an interview with Ring Magazine, Fury said: âFor my father, he just wants the best for me.
"He wants me to retire and walk away, but if it was that easy, I would have walked away five times before. I donât have that ability to let go.
"It can affect a lot of stuff, including families.
âMy dad saying heâs not speaking to me, I suppose heâs trying to encourage me to not fight anymore.
"But fightingâs all Iâve ever known and all I ever will know.â
Fury's inability to let go of boxing is a story as old as time.
Roy Jones Jr once insisted he would retire from boxing before it retired him, only to continue competing deep into his fifties, losing to fighters he would have wiped the floor with in his prime.
There is also the tragic tale of the late, great Muhammad Ali, who fought Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick while exhibiting early signs of the debilitating Parkinson's disease that would take a stranglehold on his later life.
âIâve tried to retire so many times, five times, but itâs always dragged me back," added Fury.
"Itâs not for money or achievements, but without boxing, I donât have a purpose in my life, and I donât see a future.
"Iâm not ready for it yet, to not see a future. Iâm 37, at least let me get to 40 before Iâve got no future left.
âIâve tried everything; promoting, managing, and I still do all that stuff right now, but thereâs no thrill of the chase.
"Thereâs nothing like being in there getting punched about by big heavyweights. Itâs a turn on."
