Tyson Fury reveals mental illness and weight battle in long comeback to boxing

Tyson Fury told media after his draw with Deontay Wilder that he did the fight not for money or fame, but for people struggling with mental health.

It was a spirited performance by Fury (27-0-1) that could arguably go down as one of the best comebacks in heavyweight history.

The 30-year-old Brit was knocked down twice in the ninth and 12th rounds but boxing experts agreed he had out-boxed Wilder (40-0-1) for the majority of the contest. However, the judges still returned mixed scorecards with Alejandro Rochin marking Wilder as a wide winner at 115-111, Robert Tapper favouring Fury at 114-112 and Phil Edwards scoring a 113-113 draw.

The bout was deemed a draw but afterwards at the Staples Center, Fury said it was one of the performances of his life, and he did it to set an example for others.

"I just showed the world tonight that everyone suffering with their mental health, that you can come back and it can be done," Fury told BT Sport.

"Everybody out there, who has the same problems, I did that for you guys. You know the truth; everybody knows I won that fight and if I can come back from where I come from then you can do that too."

After beating Klitschko in November 2015, Fury was absent from the ring for two-and-a-half years as he battled mental health struggles and alcohol and substance abuse, where he gained over 180 kilograms in weight.

"It's an iconic comeback," he said.

"There wasn't many people who thought I could come here and box like that after two and a half years out of the ring. It's not been any secret what I've been doing, I've been living like a rock star.

"But that ain't a great thing because I've had a very low time doing it. I've fought back from suicide and depression and anxiety and I wanted more than anything tonight to show the world that it can be done. Anything is possible with the right mindset.

"When I say I was on the brink of suicide - I mean suicide - and I came back with the help of [trainer] Ben Davison and a great team around me, we were able to achieve what we achieved tonight."

A day after the controversial result, Fury was more vocal about his disappointment in the result.

"To be honest, I've never seen a worse decision in my life," Fury said.

"I don't know what fight them judges were watching. The guy who had me losing the first six rounds, I don't know what he was watching."

"He [the judge] needs banning from boxing forever, because he can't judge clearly.

"Go to Specsavers mate."

Encouraged by his ability to turn his personal and professional sporting life around so drastically in the last year, Fury remained confident however that a rematch with Wilder would go in his favour, and sent a warning to other boxers that he was now in a 'great place' to keep fighting.

"When you give up the passion to live anymore, you're in a bad place," he said. "But now I'm in a great place. You can see a well man now.

"Am I going to go AWOL again? We are prepared this time," Fury said.

"When you give up the passion to live, you're in a bad place. I was already depressed before the Klitschko fight, heavily. Now I am in a great place.

"I was in an ill state. Now I am happy to be healthy. The most important thing is my health. Thank God I am alive and well. I go back chin up, chest out."

- with AP