Only Tyson Fury really knows how he got up off the floor. Not in the ninth or 12th round on Saturday night but in life, after he'd hit rock bottom, suffering mental health problems which led to suicidal thoughts and addiction.
Twice Deontay Wilder knocked him down to the floor, the second time after 11.5 bruising rounds of boxing that looked to spell the end of the fight, and twice Tyson Fury rose to his feet.
It might have been god's intervention, as both Fury and his trainer Ben Davison suggested after the fight, it might have been his pure determination to win the WBC world title but what's more likely to be the reason that Fury was able to get to his feet on both occasions is because he has got up from far worse.
Three years ago the Gypsy King shocked the world to beat Wladimir Klitschko on points in Germany, something that seemed almost impossible, to become the world heavyweight champion.
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The reason it took him so long to get back to another world title match, against Wilder on Saturday night, was the mental health problems that engulfed Fury.
The Mancunian fighter ballooned in weight, picked up alcohol and drug addictions and contemplated suicide. Fortunately he battled back to give the performance of a lifetime at the Staples Centre. Speaking to BT Sport after the fight he dedicated his performance to those who are going through the same fight he's been through:
Fury's statement that 'you can come back and it can be done' as well as telling people to seek help and that 'we can do it as a team' are really strong and powerful statements.
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In recent years sports has been helping tackle the stigma against depression with plenty of sports stars stepping forward to admit their mental health problems.
Fury's issues have been so prominent because they stopped him from competing and they've been played out so publically.
No matter what happens between now and the end of his career, and who else he has to beat to get his title back, Fury has already overcome the biggest fight of his career.
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If the Gypsy King can get back off the canvas then you can too!
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Topics: Mental health
Topics: Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Mental Health, UOKM8?, Deontay Wilder
