WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury admits that he was lured back to boxing after becoming miserable while sitting out in retirement for several months.
He began to experience the same feelings that overtook him after taking a two year hiatus from the sport after shocking Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
In the aftermath of his knockout win over Dillian Whyte in April, Fury announced his retirement from the sport.
However, a few months later the unbeaten boxer was already talking up potential fights with Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.
Fury is scheduled to make a voluntary defense against Derek Chisora in a trilogy fight on December 3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“After I beat Dillian Whyte in April, I really meant retirement and I swear to God I couldn’t have been more sure of something in all my life. I had a few months out of the ring, I was writing my third book and I am producing a song as well for the World Cup, so I was really busy. But, without boxing, I just felt I didn’t have any purpose in my life anymore,” Fury told BT Sport.
“For the four months I was retired, I’ve never felt so back to 2015, 2016, 2017 ever before. But I was back in that moment in that time where life was very dull, very dark and there was no way back for me. I ain’t back boxing for a belt. Or back boxing for some more money, to win another five or 25 fights or to unify the division, I am boxing because of this (my mental state).
“And without it, (my mental state) is going downhill rapidly and I don’t know any other way of keeping it sane. This is me being brutally honest, speaking from the heart. I do not know how to quit.”
Once Fury has overcome Chisora, he believes an undisputed fight with Usyk can be made.
Usyk currently holds the WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA titles – after retaining the belts back in August with a decision win in a rematch with Joshua.
“If Usyk can be made and they actually want the fight, then we’ll do that fight next providing I win and everything goes right, because I don’t look past anything and you can’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Fury said.
“If the Usyk fight happens, more than likely it will be in Saudi Arabia. Get through him and then back to the UK.”