Tyson Fury’s life won’t hinge on Saturday night.
The controversial heavyweight takes on Wladimir Klitshko in Dusseldorf this weekend but the English fighter refuses to look at the title bout as the most important fight of his life.
That, he says, is his constant battle with depression, which has led him to simplify his life in a bid to cut out stress.
The 27-year-old told The Daily Mail that he has re-evaluated his life and cut out all the trappings of wealth in a bid to combat depression, which could lead him to balloon in weight to more than 25 stone before previous fights.
Having moved himself, his wife Paris and children Venezuela and Prince into a smaller house, Fury is confident he will be made for life after Saturday’s fight.
“After Dusseldorf I should have enough to look after us all for life. Not because it will be a lot for a lifetime but because it will be enough for our needs.
“We have sold the big house and moved into a smaller home. I owned a Rolls Royce Phantom but I sold that too. Instead I paid £2,000 for a 15-year-old Mercedes S-Class which caught my eye online because of its old-fashioned half-wooden steering wheel. But all I really need is a car big enough for me to fit this big body into.
“I used to love leading the flash life, like most red-blooded young men. No longer. I’m not interested in material possessions. Not any more. They mean nothing.”
Fury is just days away from the biggest fight of his life, and is already planning for his retirement.
“Once I stop fighting I will lead a quiet family life. It has to be stress-free because stress is a big part of depression and that’s one reason why I have simplified my life. I own my house. I have no debts. I no longer blow money on shopping therapy. That’s out of my system.
“Having a million pounds in later life would not make me any happier than a fiver in my pocket. All we need is enough to live on. I don’t need money to be content. Why does anyone need to spend a fortune on anything. Toilet paper is just toilet paper.
“If I do have to find a few quid I can turn my hand to anything. You know. Odd jobs. Decorating. Whatever comes along. It wouldn’t worry me.
“Whatever happens I won’t end up one of those boxers whose 20-room mansion gets repossessed and suddenly discovers his friends were just hangers-on who were sucking him dry.”
