Tyson Fury Was Worried He Had Brain Damage – ‘I Was Very Frightened’

Tyson Fury feared he had brain damage following his trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder. 

The Gypsy King faced Wilder in one of the most thrilling heavyweight contests. In the first fight, Fury had to get off the canvas in the final round following a brutal right hand. That prevented Fury from getting the win, as it was declared a draw. The next two bouts saw Fury stop Wilder to become the WBC Heavyweight Champion. In the third fight, Fury hit the canvas twice. While he got up to stop Wilder, those three fights took their toll. Fury had come back from mental health issues before facing Wilder. Those fights raised worries that he may have done some long-term damage, including harming his brain.

Fury Reacts

“I was feeling the back of my head and I had lumps on the back of my head like fists. I didn’t know if I had brain damage, I didn’t know what was up with me. [And] I was very frightened because I had these massive swellings on the back of my head.

“I was thinking, ‘I could end up with brain damage.’ I was concussed, I didn’t remember anything. [And]I suppose when you get knocked down like that you don’t remember a lot. I was thinking, ‘Did I get put down four times?’ I actually got put down twice. [And] I thought to myself, ‘You know what? I think it’s time to call it a day.’ That was after Wilder 3,” Fury said

Fury’s mindset has now changed. He is on the cusp of becoming the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. He faces Oleksandr Usyk on May 18. A win for Fury makes him the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Fury has a rematch clause in place, meaning there is at least one more fight left in his career. Fury has also spoken about fighting ten more times. That will depend on his performance against Usyk and how he keeps his physique outside the ring.

There are also questions over the amount of money on the table. Fury has revealed that he is on course to become the first billionaire in boxing. The Saudi money will go a long way to helping him achieve that. However, that will be dependent on Fury continuing to fight regularly and win. While his wife, Paris Fury, has spoken about her desire to see him retire, Fury does not appear keen on doing that just yet. 

Fury’s Future

“We want Tyson for five, seven, or ten fights more. You are the most beautiful diamond boxing fighter. You know what I have in my heart. I see you as one of the best fighters in the generation, and I’m thinking we will have a big relationship in the boxing field,” Turki Alalshikh said 

“I’m definitely on course to be the first boxing billionaire. I’m on course for it, I’m looking forward to it, and I’m delighted by all the good news that keeps coming my way. [And] I’m not cheap. I’m probably the highest paid. If you want something good, you’ve got to pay for it, don’t you?,” Fury stated