Sometimes, when judging celebrities, it pays to take a step back and imagine how you’d react if the same happened to a friend or family member.

Take Kim Kardashian for example – I know, I dislike her too, but hear me out. When news broke of her harrowing ordeal people laughed and cracked jokes, but if their sister was tied up and fearful of being raped I think they might find it less amusing.

I guess we might show a little empathy for Tyson Fury then, the reigning world heavyweight champion who is unravelling at the seams.

Back in November of last year Tyson beat Wladimir Klitschko and became numero uno, but since then it has all fallen apart. December wasn’t a month to remember, the public turning on him when his habit of making homophobic slurs was brought to the fore.

You can brush up on that HERE, but let’s turn our attention to his interview with Rolling Stone this week. In the days leading up to the chat Fury had announced his retirement on Twitter, then backtracked and said he would continue to box.

Some of those tweets from his account:

Judging by his spelling, Tyson and a certain EFC fighter by the name of Danie ‘Pitbull’ van Heerden might get on pretty well (HERE).

With Tyson clearly in a pretty dark place, let’s turn to parts of that Rolling Stone interview:

Did you use cocaine?

Listen, I’ll tell you what’s happened. It’s been a witch hunt ever since I won that world title. Ever since I got a bit of fame for doing good there’s been a witch hunt on me because of my background, because of who I am and what I do, there’s hatred for Travelers and gypsies around the world…

Are you saying you never did cocaine and the drug test is not accurate?

Listen, I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’ve done lots of cocaine. Lots of it. Why shouldn’t I take cocaine? It’s my life isn’t it? I can do what I want. Yeah, I have done cocaine. Plenty of people have done cocaine as well. What the fuck has that got to do with anything? That ain’t a performance enhancing drug. Am I not allowed to have a life now as well? Do they want to take my personal life off me too? I’ve not been in a gym for months. I’ve not been training. I’ve been going through depression. I just don’t want to live anymore, if you know what I’m saying. I’ve had total enough of it. They’ve forced me to the breaking edge. Never mind cocaine. I just didn’t care. I don’t want to live anymore. So cocaine is a little minor thing compared to not wanting to live anymore.

Where are you now?

I’m in a very bad place at the moment. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I don’t know if I’m going to see the year out to be honest.

But you are seeing help.

I am seeing help, but they can’t do nothing for me. What I’ve got is incurable. I don’t want to live. All the money in the world, fame and glory, means nothing if you’re not happy. And I ain’t happy. I’m very far from it.

Are your demons, your depression, something you’ve been fighting your entire life?

I wish to God on everything, that I never got into boxing as a child. I wish this never happened and I had just done a routine job and a routine life…

But you know what it is. I feel more racism now in 2016 than any slave, any foreign immigrant ever did in the 1800s. Listen, when Muhammad Ali threw his gold medal away in the 1960s for being mistreated and abused, this is what I’m doing today…

I’ve been out drinking, drugging, acting like a lunatic, being a fool. All to try and feel better in meself. But nothing can suffice my thirst no more, I’m finished. All the drugs and drink in the world ain’t gonna make me happy no more. Nothing makes me happy anymore because I have gone past the point of happiness. There is no returning for me anymore. I am finished.

The interview goes on, and it really doesn’t get any prettier. You can read it in full HERE.

My compassion for this guy is limited, given his horrendous stance on a number of issues during his career, but let’s just hope the help he’s getting sorts out some of those demons.

I mean, would you want to climb into the ring with someone this unhinged? The only chap I could think of who might relish that is a certain Conor McGregor, and he seems to have a few issues as well (HERE).

[source:rollingstone]