Tyson Fury’s final clinical demolition job on Dillian Whyte amidst the white-hot atmosphere at Wembley Stadium, a blood-lust among 94,000 spectators that threatened to engulf the two fighters in the ring as the bout teetered on the edge of control, proved a couple of things.
One is that Fury, who at 2.06m tall can clear the top rope of a ring as comfortably as he gets into bed at night, should be the most feared heavyweight in the world.
The other is that he can entertain and engage a worldwide audience like few fighters - like few people, really - a talent and personality that translates directly into pay per view gold.
The self-parody in the immediate build-up to the fight, a big-screen announcement by a "town crier" exalting the audience to effectively bow down to the Gypsy King, complete with Fury’s ascension to a throne on his way to the ring, was another indication that Fury knows the value of not taking himself too seriously.
But now we’re left with a giant unknown – whether the nearly 34-year-old Englishman, undefeated after 33 professional fights, will stay in the game, a question about a man full of contradictions that will undoubtedly make his popularity even greater.
"I’ve fulfilled everything I’ve ever wanted to fulfil," Fury told reporters in the fevered aftermath of his sixth-round TKO victory over Whyte.
"I’m going to be the second heavyweight in history after Rocky Marciano to retire undefeated. I’ve won every belt there is to win. If this was a computer game, it would definitely be completed for sure."
Read More: Tyson Fury knocks out Dillian Whyte, then announces retirement
So, will he or won’t he? Before this fight, Fury’s father, John, responding to the retirement rumours, told journalists not to take any notice of what his son said, that if Tyson didn’t have boxing he wouldn’t have anything else, that he was also prone to hyperbole.
There’s been talk about an exhibition fight with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (an announcement of sorts was made in the ring after his win on Sunday) and possibly another wrestling cameo for the WWE.
He’s worth many millions, made another eight-figures by beating Whyte and says he doesn’t care about money or his legacy (before comparing his record with Marciano’s).
But while the scrutiny he received after his stunning 2015 world title victory over Wladimir Klitschko may have exacerbated his mental health issues, boxing is what brought him back to physical and psychiatric health. Training to fight helped him lose more than 65kg and gave him a focus and discipline he had lacked for two and a half years.
He says his interests lie in helping the downtrodden, but has links with Daniel Kinahan, the notorious head of a gang linked with drugs who is wanted by US authorities. He can tear opponents down mentally before doing the same physically in the ring and then give them a "cuddle" in their dressing room afterwards as he did with Whyte.
He has made anti-gay comments and has failed tests for performance-enhancing drugs.
He’s very much his own man, and yet says he owes it to his wife of 14 years and mother of their six children Paris, to retire.
“He has nothing more to prove,” Paris told reporters. “For Tyson to keep boxing, it just seems for one reason and I know in my heart, I think the only reason that Tyson will come back is for the unification fight.”
This is the prize that will likely become greater for the expectation among fans of the heavyweight division who haven’t been this engaged in a generation.
Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian holder of the WBA, WBO and IBF world title belts after wresting them in a one-sided decision victory over Anthony Joshua, must honour a re-match clause against the Englishman.
Should Joshua, outclassed by Usyk last September but bigger and more powerful, win that re-match, he will not only become a three-time world champion, but also an obvious target for Fury. The heavyweight division has not been unified by a single champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
It’s probably understandable that Fury didn’t want to consider another boxing fight (an important distinction) after the monumental physical and mental effort in training for his last one, but even if he’s serious about retirement, and no one will know but him, circumstances may conspire to change his mind.
“If AJ can win, wild horses couldn’t keep Tyson in retirement,” John Fury said.
Will he come back? He almost certainly would for Joshua in what would be easily the biggest fight in British boxing.
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