Billy Joe Saunders opens up on conversation which stopped Tyson Fury from committing suicide
- Joe Hewlett
- 8 May 2021
“I said, ‘If you commit suicide now, who is going to look after your sons and daughters and wife?’"
Having lived his dream of becoming heavyweight champion by outpointing Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, Tyson Fury hit an all-time low and was forced to surrender his world titles due to alarming mental health issues.
His boxing career was in tatters but that was the least of his worries.
Ballooned up to nearly 400 pounds, Fury had hit rock-bottom with depression and suicide was on the cards.
Saunders - who prepares to take on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in the biggest fight of his career this weekend - opened up on his conversation with Fury in 2016, which led him to introducing the heavyweight to Ben Davison and more importantly, prevented him from committing suicide.
"He walked through the airport arrivals and I thought, 'F****** hell', I did not even recognise him," Saunders said in 2019.
"That night we sat down and chatted for about two hours. He was talking about suicide and I said, "Why the f*** are you talking about suicide to me?"
"I said, 'If you commit suicide now, who is going to look after your sons and daughters and wife?'"
Saunders, a two-division world champion, has received huge support all week from Fury ahead of his showdown with Canelo - it's no surprise when you look into the great friendship the pair have.
"Superb" admitted training with Davison was crucial for Fury's recovery but he also stated how important it was for him to remember about the family he would have left behind.
"I asked him what his sons would feel like if their dad was a world champion who killed himself and how he would feel if he knew one of his sons were going to do it," Saunders continued.
"I had to put his kids into the equation because I knew that was the only thing left that he actually cared about. Fame, money and boxing meant nothing to him.'
"He stayed for two weeks, got on really well with Ben and that was it, he got right in the swing of things with Ben and they clicked. Ben has ended up being like a family member and a minder.'
"We are very good mates and I have been with him in good and dark times.
"Having seen how bad he was, everything now is just fun because I know first-hand that he was 100 per cent thinking about suicide.
"Some people still question whether he really had depression but I know first-hand he had bad depression and suicide on his mind."
Fury has since returned to the throne having defeated Deontay Wilder in stunning style last year at the MGM Grand.
He is expected to collide with Anthony Joshua in British boxing's biggest fight in history this summer. August 14 is the date and Saudi Arabia will host the mega-event.
However, before any official announcement, Fury is focused on support his good friend Saunders, who has the chance to deliver a famous win on foreign soil to unify the super middleweight division.
