BOXING is a career that can set you up for life, but there is always the question of what comes next: in Tyson Fury's case, it was more boxing.
Famous fighters have pursued many avenues in the past: Mike Tyson took the 'media personality' route, Evander Holyfield became a boxing advisor and George Foreman put his name to the most successful kitchen appliance of all time.
So, it's common for a champion to go out on top to avoid the outcry for retirement from fans, but some cases just shock the sport – and World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champ Tyson Fury was one of these cases.
He decided, after fighting Dillian Whyte in April 2022, that he was going to put himself out to pasture. He said: "I, hand on heart, did not want to fight anymore".
The 'Gypsy King' hung up his gloves and wanted to take up the 'family man' role, which anyone can respect, as getting beaten in Mario Kart by your children is a lot healthier than getting beaten about the skull, no matter how many hits you can take.
Tyson also decided to invite Netflix cameras into his home for the forthcoming reality series, At Home With the Furys, to give the public a peek behind the scenes with him and his family during one of the most eventful phases of his life so far.
There were "normal expectations" going into this new adventure: however, with Tyson being the man he is, the writing was always on the wall.
As his wife, Paris, says: "When Tyson said he was going to retire, I said it was never going to last."
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Early on in the new series, Tyson is seen doing menial tasks like the school run, tidying up outside the house and otherwise keeping busy – but, as Paris predicted, this soon changes.
"I have to make sure that my life is full of purpose, because a man without a purpose is in a dodgy place," says the lineal heavyweight champion of the world.
"I was sat at home doing nothing, under Paris' feet, she wanted to get rid of me. How much picking up rubbish and weeding can you do? After a week, it's all done."
Tyson has made no attempt to hide his inner battles from the world, becoming an advocate for men's mental health the world over, especially among athletes, after revealing that he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, depression and ADHD in 2017.
In an interview with Showtime in America, the fighter said: "I just wanted to show the world that if mental health can bring someone as big as me, and as strong as me, to his knees, then it can bring anyone to their knees."
Tyson has also spoken about how mental health has troubled him throughout his life: just a year before he became the heavyweight champion of the world, he suffered a period of personal tragedy which tested his mind more than any fight he could face.
His uncle, Hughie Fury, died from a blood clot in the same year that Paris gave birth to a stillborn baby – and all of this whilst he continued to fight and train.
In an interview with ESPN, Tyson said "I couldn't be depressed then, I couldn't focus on Hughie's death, depression, or even my own child dying.
"After I had achieved that unreachable goal [becoming heavyweight champion of the world], I then had time for it to explode."
And explode it did: Tyson ended up going off the rails. He has admitted to taking drugs and drinking excessively and even having suicidal thoughts.
After two years of mental turmoil for both him and his family, who helped the boxer through that time, Tyson decided to go public with his struggles to help others through what he had been through.
After a comeback story that would merit its own Rocky-style film series, Tyson came out on top of the world again – but his mental health issues still persist, and he now has a support network around him.
"Tyson can be triggered by the smallest thing, he can wake up one day and just be in a low mood," says Paris.
"We've learned, as a family, that you've got to ride out and keep moving forward."
During his retirement, Fury tried multiple things to keep himself occupied, including public appearances, calling out Hafþór Björnsson, the world's strongest man, for a sparring session, and helping half-brother and fellow boxer Tommy to prepare for his next fight.
However, in textbook Tyson Fury fashion, he ended up pulling the gloves back on just three months later, against Derek Chisora.
"I needed a purpose, something in my life. I was training twice a day, I was in my prime. After six months of retirement and filming a Netflix show, I'm going to make a comeback."
Tyson couldn't take seeing his belts, which he vacated when he retired, being won by fighters that he felt he could beat.
Having already lost The Ring heavyweight title during his retirement due to inactivity – Oleksandr Usyk has since claimed it – the WBC heavyweight title needed defending before it was stripped from the 'Gypsy King' as well.
The British boxing legend's next fight will be against MMA superstar Francis N'gannou (which will be the Franco-Cameroonian's first time in a professional boxing ring), effectively a litmus test for how ready he is to fight Usyk in a bid to become the undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time.
One thing's for sure – he has one hell of a family in his corner.
Netflix docuseries At Home With the Furys will be available to stream from August 16, more info at netflix.com
