Tyson’s in a very dark place... he needs help
BILLY JOE’S FEARS FOR PAL FURY
TYSON FURY is suicidal, says his worried close friend Billy Joe Saunders.
The world heavyweight champion could be stripped of his WBA and WBO titles after pulling out of his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko twice.
He has since reportedly tested positive for cocaine, while the 28-year-old is also awaiting a UKAD hearing after traces of nandrolone were allegedly found in a urine sample last year.
Fury yesterday put out an expletiveladen message on Twitter claiming he had retired from the sport.
He later posted it was not true and wrote, “As soon as I get better I will be defending what is mine.”
But despite the mucking about on social media, Saunders, who has known Fury for 13 years, is worried that his mate has hit rock-bottom.
He said: “He’s in a very, very dark place, Tyson, he needs help.
“Without boxing I’m very concerned that he won’t see 30.
“The public need to get behind him and give him a little bit of support to make him feel people are behind him.
“We all do bad and we all do good but he’s in a bad, bad place at the moment.”
Saunders has also pleaded with the WBA and WBO to think carefully about whether to strip Fury of his titles.
The 27-year-old, who will defend his WBO middleweight title against Artur Akavov in Cardiff on October 22, ® believes the wrong decision could tip Fury over the edge.
He added: “They need to think about that before they decide what to do – without his boxing, his life is finished.”
Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren took a harder stance as he urged Fury to stop the social media pranks and focus on getting his career back on track.
Fury took to Twitter after the cocaine allegation, posting a picture from the film Scarface with his head photoshopped onto the body of the lead character with a pile of the drug in front of him.
Crazy
Warren said: “We’re all responsible for our own actions and he sits there and uses Twitter and sends out these stupid photographs and it’s madness.
“All he’s doing is harming himself. It’s like a self-destruct button he’s got.
“When you look at what he’s done, it amazes me. To go into Klitschko’s backyard, take his title away and then not fight again is crazy.
“People have put their time and money up, and obviously his health must come before all of that. But he can’t keep doing this to himself and his family and he can’t keep doing it to the sport.”