Tyson Fury believes he’d be ‘rotting in a box somewhere, dead’ had he not beaten his depression

Tyson Fury believes he would be dead had he not tackled his depression when he did.

The boxer, 31, has opened up about his breakdown, which saw him gain around 10 stone, admit to indulging in week-long drink and drunk-fueled benders and make a slew of offensive public comments.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Tyson said: ‘I just didn’t care if I lived or died. Nothing mattered. It wasn’t fun, none of it was fun. [Drink and drugs] was a sedative to get rid of the pain.’

Predicting his own future, the father-of-five said: ‘I know what I’d be now. I’d be rotting in a box somewhere, dead. I’d have had a heart attack. I couldn’t tie my own shoelaces without being out of breath. I was a wreck.’

In an extract from his forthcoming memoir, the boxer also admits: ‘I wanted to get back to being a dad and a husband again, but there was an emptiness, a darkness that had descended upon me.

‘They came rising to the surface like the lava in a volcano, spilling out and sending me deeper and deeper into a mental place from which I felt I would never recover.’

Tyson puts these feelings down to the death of his uncle Hughie and his wife Paris’ miscarriage when she was six-months pregnant. 

Downward spiral: The boxer, 31, has opened up about his breakdown, which saw him gain around 10 stone, admit to indulging in week-long drink and drunk-fueled benders and make a slew of offensive public comments [pictured in 2016]

Tyson has since turned things around and made a triumphant wrestling debut at WWE Crown Jewel last Thursday night as he beat Braun Strowman by countout after ‘landing’ one of his famous right hands.

But The Gypsy King, in his home town of Manchester on Friday night, actually teamed up with his rival to make light of Team B.

Fury popped up in the Manchester Arena after his exploits in Riyadh, with many expecting his beef with Strowman to resume, but instead the fans were treated to a surprise as he also sent a word of warning to Deontay Wilder.

Addressing the crowd, Fury said he had unfinished business with a ‘Big Dosser’ before six foot six inches Strowman appeared and said: ‘You wanted me, here I am.’

Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Tyson said: ‘I just didn’t care if I lived or died. Nothing mattered. It wasn’t fun, none of it was fun. [Drink and drugs] was a sedative to get rid of the pain’ [pictured in 2016]

In an extract from his forthcoming memoir, the boxer also admits: ‘I wanted to get back to being a dad and a husband again, but there was an emptiness, a darkness that had descended upon me’

Then, surprisingly, Fury stretched out his hand to shake Bowman’s, telling him that should they ever fight again it should be on the same side because of their great match in the Middle East. 

The pair then saw off the advances of Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas in a special night in the North West, with Raw and Smackdown being filmed back-to-back before their air date in a few days time. 

In an attempt to lure the WWE crowd into boxing, Fury told them from the centre of the ring before welcoming Strowman: ‘February 22nd, I go back to America to fight Deontay Wilder and I’m going to finish what I started, because I don’t like unfinished business.’

Fury and Wilder are set to face each other again early next year after their initial bout in the United States in 2018 ended in a draw. 

Fury has also agreed to fight UFC star Francis Ngannou inside the octagon and insists he will take on any other MMA heavyweight once he’s ‘done with boxing’. 

Self-promotion: Tyson, in his home town of Manchester, plugged his rematch with Deontay Wilder

Debut: Fury recently made a victorious debut in the WWE by beating fan-favourite Strowman [L]

He also insists that he has held talks with Conor McGregor about making a move into the sport.

On a move into UFC, Fury told IFL TV: ‘[I am] Very serious. I spoke to Conor and we’re ready to rock and roll.

‘I also had a message from Frank Mir, former heavyweight champion of UFC, and he said he’d be interested in working with me as well.

‘So, yeah, I reckon we can do something. Big time. Dana, call me!’

Wasting no time over the process, Fury identified heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic as a potential opponent along with Ngannou.