Tyson Fury has admitted he's "f***ed up" after being unable to stick to his retirement promise.
And he also has concerns for what is going to happen when he is past his best as fighter, having watched Floyd Mayweather struggle to give up the sport entirely. The 45-year-old boxing legend is currently on a seemingly never-ending tour of exhibition bouts where he fights MMA fighters, YouTube stars and ex-sparring partners.
Fury announced after his win over Dillian Whyte in April at Wembley that he would be hanging up his gloves to live a quiet life with his family. But very few believed he was serious, and within months he had confirmed his comeback, starting with a trilogy bout against Derek Chisora on Saturday night.
“I was at home, I did everything I wanted to do,” Fury explained during an appearance on The MMA Hour yesterday. “I wanted to spend some time with my family. I wanted to be that father. The kids, the school runs and all that, the dog, I wanted to do all that sort of stuff.
"Then I realised that’s for normal people and I’m anything but a normal person. I’m like an abnormal alien. I only thrive when I’m in training camp for a fight. I really don’t know what’s going to happen in the future when that is not an option anymore. I’m pretty f***** up, I think.
“I’m very worried because I can’t let go just like most of the great champions throughout history. Look at Floyd Mayweather. The guy’s 45 years old taking f***ing fights against YouTubers and stuff because he can’t let it go. It’s a very difficult thing to let it go. Very difficult.”
The world heavyweight champion is planning to stay active in the coming year, having noted that he spent the best part of his seven years since beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 out due to a number of reasons. He battled depression and weight gain until the middle of 2018 before being forced out for almost two years by coronavirus restrictions after beating Deontay Wilder in 2020.
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Now he plans to face Chisora this weekend, before moving on to Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed clash before eventually facing the likes of Joe Joyce down the line. Fury has also flirted with the idea of one day boxing Francis Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champion.
“I need this,” Fury said of boxing. “I need this more than I ever thought I’d ever need something and I still have a lot to give, so here we are giving again. Giving more blood. I need it mentally, physically, emotionally, I’m not ready to let it go right now. Hopefully, it’s going to be in the short distant future there’s going to be a time where I’m ready to let it go.
"But I ain’t ready to let it go right now. I was watching Larry Holmes last night and he was 43 years old, still kicking a**. I’m only 34, so there’s still plenty left in the tank. For now, I’m not ready to let it go and we’ll see what the future holds.”
