Tyson Fury was ready to hang up the gloves for good until he wasn’t.
Eight months and four months since his last fight, Derek Chisora is back in the ring. The fight will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) explained why his retirement was so short-lived during an appearance on The MMA Hour on Monday.
“I need this,” Fury said. Fury said, “I have never needed this as much and there is still so much I can give. So here we go again. Donating more blood.
“I need it mentally, physically, emotionally, I’m not ready to let it go right now. It’s possible that in the near future, I will be ready to let go of it, but right now, I am not ready. I was watching Larry Holmes last night and he was 43 years old, still kicking ass. I’m only 34, so there’s still plenty left in the tank. It’s not something I want to give up on, but we will see where the future takes us
Fury said that he felt genuinely content with his life after beating Dillian Whyte in April. This win came on the heels of back-to-back wins over Deontay Wilder. He relinquished his The Ring heavyweight title, though he heads into Saturday as the defending WBC champion.
Fury wanted to spend more time with his family, but he couldn’t resist the urge to fight and gave up.
” I was at home and did all I wanted,” Fury stated. Fury said, “I just wanted to be with my family. I wanted to be that father. All the kids, all the school running and all the rest, my dog. I was all of that. It was for people like me, and it’s not my normal life. I’m like an abnormal alien. When I am in fight training, I thrive. 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 worried, because I cannot let go like so many great champions in history. Floyd Mayweather. The guy’s 45 years old taking f****** fights against YouTubers and stuff because he can’t let it go. It’s a very difficult thing to let it go. Very hard .”
Though Fury only recently turned 34, he feels that his lifestyle has added to the toll that boxing has already taken on him. Fury was open in the past about his struggle with substance abuse, and has advocated for mental health.
“I was happy,” Fury said. “I wanted to retire. “I thought I could be content with my achievements, how many fights and belts won, and the career I had. I wasn’t happy and didn’t want boxing. However, I feel a need to start boxing. I know I need to box. For the short distant future I need to box.
“You can say I’m young at 34 but let’s face it, I’ve been a professional since 20. Since I was knee-high, I have been boxing. My joints have seen a lot of wear, and my life has not been the most clean. I ballooned up in between fights, I’ve been on drugs, I’ve been on alcohol, I’ve had s*** food. I’ve done all the things that athletes shouldn’t do and I’m still 34, so it’s pretty old for the way I’ve lived my life.”
For now, Fury insisted that he’s “just following God’s path” and that until a higher power removes boxing from his life then he is likely to continue fighting. Fury may seem to be leaving the door but he’s been involved in major boxing fights with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, along with a cross-card bout with Francis Ngannou, UFC heavyweight champion.
Fury stated that his sole focus is on Chisora, an opponent he has defeated twice. Then he will ring in the new year in style.
“I don’t overlook people,” Fury said. “I’m looking at this fight with Chisora, that’s it. This is my fight for the world title. My defense. My defense. I don’t give a f*** about A.J. Derek Chisora is coming to my head on Saturday night. This is the fight I will be fighting for.
“After that I’m going to give a damn about Christmas. I’m going to get drunk every day, I’m going to eat s***, I’m going to be with my family, I’m going to party. I’m going to do what human beings do. I will enjoy the war spoils. Then after all of that I’ll rethink what I want to do after that. Who knows? I might retire again.”
That said, there is one Fury fight forecast he was willing to offer: How his father John would fare against YouTuber-turned-boxing star Jake Paul. The two were recently involved in an animated conversation that saw John tear his shirt off and challenge Paul to fight at a Global Titans boxing event in Dubai.
“I think my dad would rip his heart out and feed it to him and the man is nearly 60 years old,” Fury said. Fury said, “My dad and Jake Paul should fight until the very end. That would be a spectacle and I would give $100 to see it, pay-per-view.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/11/28/23482726/tyson-fury-explains-why-couldnt-walk-away-from-boxing-guarantees-dad-would-rip-jake-pauls-heart-out?rand=96749
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