By: Michael Kane
Tyson Fury has been in some big fights over the years, none more so than his fight with mental health issues including depression and suicidal thoughts.
His mental health battles have made him determined to help other people who suffer from mental health issues and also to help the homeless. He has told the Irish Mirror that he will be donating his purse from Saturday’s bout against Deontay Wilder, a reported £8 million.
Fury may not have got the result he wanted in Saturday after his fight was scored a draw with Wilder however it seems he has a bigger picture of what he wants to do with his life and money.
“I’m going to give it to the poor and I’m going to build homes for the homeless,” Fury said. “I don’t really have much use for it, I’m not interested in becoming a millionaire or a billionaire. I’m a boxer not a businessman and I’ll probably go down the same route as every other boxer — skint at the end of it all. You can’t take it with you so I might as well do something with it and help out people who can’t help themselves.”
He continued, “When I go home I’m going to build some homes for the homeless and set up some funds for drug addicts and alcoholics.
“I was always going to do it but being here (in California) gives me that extra push to go and do it even more.
“It has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and I’m leaving as a better person.
“There are a lot of homeless people on the streets here, more than I’ve ever seen ever in my life. I’m staying in downtown LA but if you go five minutes down the road there’s like – I don’t know- thousands of homeless people.
“I’m just an outsider with an opinion buy it’s a situation that is happening all over the world, especially in the UK as well.”
Fury also wants his kids to have to earn their money the same way he had to graft for his.
“I believe all kids should make their own money in life because if they don’t, they won’t appreciate it,” Fury said.
“It’s easy to spend someone else’s money and the money I’ve earned is practically blood money. My kids have to make their own living and make their own way in life; they won’t be living off my name or reputation because that’s too easy a route,” he continued. “You see many of these rich people’s kids doing nothing because they had it too easy. I never had it easy, I had to work for whatever I got. I was working from very young, everything I wanted in life I had to work for.”