Tyson Fury’s recovery from rock bottom to heavyweight world champion again is a story that has been well told by the man himself since his return to boxing in 2018.
While, to this day, the WBC king insists he still has inner battles to fight on occasion, the manner in which he’s overcome many of his issues has been truly remarkable.
Back in 2016, though, as he prepared for a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko after dethroning him the year before, Fury hit rock bottom.
Eventually he pulled out of the planned second bout with Klitschko after being declared medically unfit to fight by professionals.
By this point his life had spiralled out of control with drink and drugs binges as a result of his bipolar disorder and depression.
Just a few months earlier, Fury gave what, looking back now, appears to almost be a cry for help.
He sat down for a bizarre Face To Face programme with Klitschko to promote the ill-fated rematch and laid his problems bare for all to see.
At the time, very few took him seriously.
Not long into the interview after a fairly straightforward opening, Fury took an unexpected change of direction.
He turned his attention to host John Rawling and asked: “But really, does it matter who wins or loses?”
Rawling answered: “Well, I think it probably does, doesn’t it?”
To which Fury said: “Well, why does it matter?”
Rawling responded: “Because you’re the champion, you don’t want to lose those belts.”
Fury interrupted: “But I’m still gonna get paid, aren’t I? If I lose or win?”
Rawling then asked: “You are, but does it not mean something to you to be walking around as world heavyweight champion?”
An indifferent Fury answered: “Nothing. It doesn’t mean as much as this jumper means to me. Nothing.
“Them belts haven’t seen daylight since I won them, that’s just the person I am…
“It all doesn’t really matter to me because I’ve already beat him, so my job’s been done.
“I’ve already done the impossible, so if he knocks me out in ten seconds, I’m happy.
“So what? I’ve been paid a lot of money, I’ve been heavyweight champion of the world, and I’ve been involved in some big fights.
“Just because I lose one doesn’t mean I’m not gonna be involved in big fights in the future. I will be.”
Addressing Klitschko, Fury went on to add: “It’s not an embarrassing thing to be beat by somebody who’s better than you on the night.
“Everybody has bad nights, don’t they?
“Look at history. Leon Spinks beat Muhammad Ali, then in the rematch he got played with.
“So maybe you’re gonna do that with me, but either way I don’t care.
“Hopefully you do play with me, then I can retire, former heavyweight champion and beat the man no-one could beat.
“And I hope you beat me and beat everybody else, then it makes my win look even better, doesn’t it?”
Talk then turned to the fact the rematch was scheduled to be on Fury’s home soil in Manchester.
“You’re going to get a hero’s welcome in Manchester,” Rawling told Fury.
To which he replied: “Am I?
“I think Wlad’s got more support here than I have.”
Further into the interview, Fury told Klitschko: “I hope you do win because then I don’t have to fight again.
“I’m only boxing until I lose, and then I’ll quit.”
By this point, Klitschko appeared somewhat baffled.
When Rawling asked the Ukrainian to reveal his keys to victory, he said: “It’s really challenging because the man doesn’t know what he’s gonna do.”
Fury agreed: “I don’t know myself.
“I’m a person who can wake up in a good mood and then ten seconds later I’m in a bad one.
“I actually accused Wladimir of being an emotional wreck in the press conference, but I rephrase that.
“Because he’s a stable person, he’s normal. He’s a normal athlete.
“I’m an emotional wreck, me. I’m the mad one.
“I think I’m a screw loose in the head sometimes.”
Rawling laughed at these remarks, not realising their authenticity, to which Fury reacted: “No, truthful, not talking stupid.”
Klitschko seemed to realise something was awry as he then said: “He’s not joking. I know you’re not.”
And Fury continued: “Gospel truth I’m not joking. I can wake up in the morning, everything’s fine, then in the afternoon I could commit suicide…
“I’m like stuck in between. I don’t know if I’m gonna be that side or that side either day. Every day I wake up is different.
“Some days I think I’ll retire from boxing, on top, undefeated, and don’t give him this rematch, make him suffer that way.
“Other days I think, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight him, knock him out.’
“Other days I think, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight and take a dive.’
“Other days I don’t know what I’m gonna do and this is the truth. I ain’t lying. I will pour it all out to you, just so everything’s on the table, you know what to expect on the night.”
Fury then concluded with one final speech.
“There’s no excuses on my behalf,” he began. “I can do my best and that’s it.
“If Wladimir beats me, then good luck to him, I’ll shake his hand and say he’s the better man.
“And obviously if I beat him, I’m still in the same position.
“Still as sick as ever, still as depressed as life can be and still don’t really care if I die in any second of the moment. That’s the way I live my life.”
Thankfully, six years on, Fury’s has changed the way he lives his life dramatically and provided others who have similar feelings, with inspiration to keep fighting.
It can be argued that this is his biggest achievement.
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News Summary:
- ‘I could commit suicide’ – Tyson Fury vs Wladimir Klitschko Face To Face before cancelled rematch saw the Gypsy King speak openly about mental health problems
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