Tyson Fury won’t be the last boxer to come out of retirement to take on new challenges in the ring — but the reigning WBC heavyweight champion says that his decision to do so was because he can’t quite live without the sport just yet.
Fury revealed that he was stepping away soon after his knockout win against Dillian Whyte earlier this year but this decision was a short-lived one as he returned to the fold in pursuit of a money=spinning bout with UK rival Anthony Joshua. Terms for that particular fight could not be agreed (for the third year in a row), leaving Fury to face old rival Derek Chisora next month — a fighter that Fury has already fought and defeated twice before.
And speaking on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, via MMA Fighting, he explained that he had little option but to return.
“I need this,” Fury said. “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 ass. 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.”
Fury added that he was ready to withdraw into a normal life before he realised that he is by definition anything but normal.
“I was at home, I did everything I wanted to do,” Fury said. “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 realized 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*cking fights against YouTubers and stuff because he can’t let it go. It’s a very difficult thing to let it go. Very difficult.”
So with his next task set, Fury says he will have to wait and see how he feels after his trilogy fight with Chisora.
“After that I’m going to give a damn about Christmas,” he said. “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’m going to enjoy the spoils of war. Then after all of that I’ll rethink what I want to do after that. Who knows? I might retire again.”
