Share

Fury wants to be mental health champion

London - Britain's Tyson Fury returns to the ring on Saturday hoping his boxing comeback can inspire other people who have been suffering from mental health problems.

The unbeaten former world heavyweight champion takes on Albania's Sefer Seferi in Manchester on Saturday.

Fury outweighs Seferi by more than four stone, a point he jokingly emphasised at Friday's weigh-in by picking up his opponent and cradling him in his arms.

But Fury's time away away from boxing has been far from a laughing matter.

He hasn't fought since a shock defeat of Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 saw Fury win the world title.

Since then, though, his career started to unravel and Fury was stripped of his boxing licence as he contested a ban over a failed drugs test.

Meanwhile, the Briton gained weight at an alarming rate while battling depression and made a series of highly controversial, and to some offensive, statements about social issues.

But the 29-year-old is confident he is now in good shape, both mentally and physically, as he looks to regain the world heavyweight crown.

"I've had massive support throughout all my troubles, everybody's really been helping me and spurring me on," Fury said on Friday.

"This isn't just me and my team, it's me and the whole nation. I seem to have everyone behind me and I'm coming back and fighting for them."

He added: "I'm fighting for people who need inspiration and help - people who suffer from mental health problems as well.

"It's living proof if I can do it, then anyone can do it. To come from 27-and-a-half stone and to get to fighting level for Saturday night, then that is a statement, isn't it?"

Fury has long felt he was unfairly stripped of the world title belts he won after beating Klitschko and has long spoken of his desire for a bout with reigning champion Anthony Joshua in an all-British encounter.

But Fury was adamant he was focused on the task of beating Seferi, whose 23 professional career wins have all come at cruiserweight, with his lone loss to heavyweight contender Manuel Charr in September 2016.

"I'm not here to dwell on the past, I'm here to move forward," Fury insisted. "That is all in the past so let's move on to the next chapter - the new Tyson Fury, the people's champion. There's no negativity here."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Glasgow Warriors 0
Sharks 0
loading... Live
North West 54/2
Warriors RSA 145/7
loading... Live
Titans RSA 50/1
Lions 154/8
loading... Live
Western Province 173/4
Boland 54/4
loading... Live
Ulster 0
Cardiff Rugby 0
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE