Fury Tyson he once again opened up about his battles with his mental health, insisting “there’s more to life than being the richest man in the graveyard.”
WBC heavyweight champion Fury has spoken at length in the past about his struggle with depression, which led to a two-and-a-half-year break from boxing.
Fury relinquished the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight belts after dethroning Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, and did not return to the ring until June 2018, when his run to the WBC title began.
After a split draw with then-champion Deontay Wilder in December 2018, with most pundits and fans believing Fury should have gotten the win, the Brit took the titles from the American with a stoppage victory in February 2020. In his most recent fight, in October, Fury finished Wilder again to complete his trilogy and retain the WBC belt. who is willing to defend against his compatriot Dillian Whyte this april.
At a press conference about his new energy drink Furocity, which launches on Wednesday, February 16, Fury reflected on his journey back to the top of the sport on Friday.
“I think it was the first time that someone came out at that level (heavyweight champion of the world) and talked openly about it and didn’t hide anything,” the 33-year-old said. And I revealed it all in my book [Behind The Mask], I dedicated a lot of time and work to it; It took me three years and I poured my heart into it and I never kept any secrets.
“It’s been an incredible story and it’s bigger than boxing. Boxing is a sport that people watch on Friday or Saturday nights for entertainment, but they take home the fight against mental health.
“Even my dad, he didn’t get it. He would come to these shows and see grown men and women crying, crying over his problems, and he said, ‘I didn’t know so many people were struggling with that.’”
Tyson Fury celebrates knocking out Deontay Wilder in October
(Getty)
Fury went on to explain his initial difficulties in talking about his mental health issues.
“It is scary to imagine how many people are suffering in silence and do not know who to turn to, like me; I was in a lonely, dark place forever,” Fury said. “I didn’t know who to turn to or where to go, I didn’t know anyone educated about it.
“Who was I going to tell? Who wouldn’t laugh at me and think that he was a pathetic and weak person? That was the stigma in my mind.
“Safely [there was an element of shame and embarrassment]. At that time, I was a man who had everything the world had to offer: money, fame, glory, achievements, family, but I still felt like dying every day and I didn’t know why.
“So, I thought, ‘If I feel this way, there must be a lot of other people who feel this way too. That’s when I decided I was going to include this open relationship with the world in the personal life of Tyson Fury, aka the ‘Gypsy King.'”
Fury also admitted that, at his lowest point, he didn’t think a return to boxing was possible.
“It was a fantastic journey just being totally unwell and thinking I was going to end up in a padded room somewhere, to get back into training, lose weight…” he said. “I never thought I would box again, I thought my boxing was totally over.
Fury speaking at the launch of his new Furocity energy drink
(PENNSYLVANIA)
“I have learned to maintain and manage problems on a daily basis. I always say this: I don’t believe in mental health [issues] ever disappear completely. ‘You can leave whenever you want, but you can never leave’ – ‘Hotel California’ by The Eagles.
“I think that is the best said for mental health. There’s always going to be a time when you slip back into the dark. But there’s a lot of help these days so people don’t feel embarrassed and embarrassed: there are a lot of other people rowing the same boat, going in the same direct direction.
“But I can promise you one thing, and here’s the good news: It will get better. Even if you are in total darkness every day, the light is waiting for you. Rainbows and sunshine are just around the corner, if you’ll just reach out and get some help.
“Can I say more? I’m just speaking from the heart. There is more to life than being the richest man in the graveyard.”
