Tyson Fury’s journey from 8am lagers and shots at Euro 2016 to stunning comeback

Tyson Fury's comeback was nothing short of astonishing as he returned to the summit of the heavyweight division with two two – he would say three – victories over Deontay Wilder.

But his journey was far from plain sailing as his career looked set to come to a premature end due to personal issues brought on by depression and binge drinking.

After his upset victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, the 33-year-old struggled to deal with fame and fortune.

With the looming rematch cancelled, Fury suffered mental health issues and dramatic weight-gain which plunged his boxing career into doubt.

And his fall from grace was an ordeal for the heavyweight and his family after he had reached his peak in the sport on a career-defining night in Germany.

Here, with extracts from Tyson's wife Paris' new book, we look back at his fall from grace – and ultimate resurrection…

1. The first signs

Fury's health began to dip in 2014 according to his wife Paris who noticed the signs of behavioural changes caused by binge drinking.

The 'Gypsy King' defeated Joey Abell and Derek Chisora that year with little sign his lifestyle was affecting his blossoming and undefeated boxing career.

But concerns started to raise over his emerging habits and lifestyle changes which were largely caused by the double cancellation of his proposed bout with David Haye, who was unable to compete after shoulder surgery.

"In the spring of 2014, and not for the first time in our marriage, I saw my husband’s behaviour dip," Paris wrote in her new book Love and Fury: The Magic and Mayhem of Life with Tyson. "Looking back, it was probably his first serious bout of depression.

"As the disappointment of the Manchester non-event sank in, his mood darkened and he seemed to lose all his focus and motivation. Tyson also developed a drinking habit, which was totally out of character."

Fury managed to come through his alternative test with Chisora unscathed in November 2014, retiring him on the stool in the tenth round to take him one step closer to gaining a world-title shot.

But cracks began to show in the newly crowned European champion's armour.

2. Post-fight blues

In November 2015, Fury recorded one of the most incredible modern-era victories over legendary heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko in a performance that was deemed one of the greatest from a Briton on foreign soil.

This crowned him world champion as he reached his pinnacle on the biggest of stages, but his mental health took a dark turn for the worse after reaching dizzying new heights.

In the glow of the intense spotlight, Fury's career came crashing down after he was unable to celebrate his huge achievement.

"Once the post-fight euphoria had worn off, within days of returning home to Morecambe, Tyson had sunk into a black hole of darkness and despair," Paris wrote.

"It was as if that glorious night in Düsseldorf, and those gleaming world title belts, meant absolutely nothing to him."

His depression led to a tumbling moment in his career where he scrutinised for making pre-fight sexist comments aimed at Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill.

And as a result he was subject to heavy protest from fans who were unhappy with Fury being nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year award creating a petition to have him remove.

They were ultimately unsuccessful as Fury finished fourth in the poll.

3. Drink and drugs

As his battle with heavy depression continued in the aftermath of the Klitschko fight, Fury turned to binge drinking and drugs in a bid to escape his mental health problems.

And upon his return from Germany, Fury turned to substance abuse as his grasp on normal life continued to slip away and his career threatened to further follow it.

Fury was famously seen downing shots and beers on a boozy tour around France while following England's Euro 2016 campaign.

Fans described being in a bar with Fury purchasing 200 shots, and sinking beers on demand of his fans across the channel.

This caused a worrying period for his wife Paris who was concerned he may never make a return to normal life or his glittering boxing career.

"Tyson soon found something to dull his pain. Within days of returning home from Germany he started to drink heavily, downing pint after pint in Morecambe’s many pubs and getting completely trashed on a nightly basis," Paris explained.

"In October 2016, however, the family’s concern for Tyson’s well-being went into overdrive. Our world came crashing down in dramatic fashion when news broke of Tyson testing positive for cocaine during a random anti-doping test he’d had to take.

"I’d never felt so let down in my life – it truly felt like the final straw – and I wondered whether our marriage could survive this huge setback. But, like I’d done so many times before, I told myself to sit tight and ride the storm."

Fury's physical condition continued to plummet gaining weight by the second.

And despite the prospect of a huge rematch with Klitschko around the corner, Fury's boxing career and family had never looked bleaker.

4. Klitschko rematch

The 'Gypsy King' was set to make his ring return in a historic rematch with Klitschko in the summer of 2016.

But his worsening condition was clear for all to see as he attended a press conference weighing over 400lbs after his year-long period of substance abuse.

The fight could clearly not go ahead with Fury deemed "medically unfit" to enter the ring, and for the second time was denied a rematch shot at his Ukrainian foe.

Fury had attempted to attend a training camp in the Netherlands in a bid to revive his physical conditioning before the event but ultimately lacked the discipline to complete the endeavour.

"In response, within a few weeks Tyson’s team had packed him off to a pre-fight training camp in Holland, where it was hoped he’d lose some pounds, reach his ideal weight, and prove the critics wrong," Paris wrote.

"I had serious doubts, though – in my opinion, he didn’t have the self-discipline to go through with it – so it came as no shock to me when everything fell apart at the seams.

"With his fragile state of mind, and his serious lack of focus, he’d have been endangering himself by stepping into the ring against a hard-hitting boxer like Klitschko."

Fury now faced the prospect of losing his boxing career after reaching the incredible heights of his successful world-title quest in 2015.

5. Suicidal thoughts

As the darkness of his life and career appeared to reach its peak, Fury was forced to return home to Morecambe without his desired rematch and without a grip on normal life.

In a well-documented incident, Fury attempted to take his life by driving into a wall at high speed before he was stopped by a voice in his head that urged him to consider his family.

After much concern from his wife Fury returned home but in a serious state of upset, reaching the darkest point of a life that was filled with love and achievement.

And this incident appeared to be his lowest point yet, where he nearly performed an irreversible action as a result of his ongoing suicidal thoughts.

"In the cold light of day, back home in Morecambe, he began to openly question his place and purpose in the world," Paris continued. "I’d felt really uneasy as he’d stepped out of the front door, climbed into his red Ferrari and zoomed off.

"It turned out that Tyson had been speeding along the fast lane of the motorway, and had been gripped by a sudden impulse to veer off the road.

"Within seconds of putting his foot down, a voice in his head had urged him to think about his children, and – thank goodness – he’d managed to stop in his tracks and had skidded to a halt."

Luckily Fury had managed to quickly snap out of his dark thoughts to save his life, and spark one of the most remarkable boxing comebacks of all-time.

Where does Tyson Fury rank on your all-time heavyweight list? Let us know your verdict in the comments section below.

6. The comeback

Fury was approached by friend and boxing trainer Ben Davison to restore his boxing shape and desperately hand him a lifeline in his boxing career.

And what followed was remarkable, with Fury able to make an incredible 150lb body transformation in training while cutting out drink and drugs and learning to control his mental health issues.

His return to the ring was hugely-documented when he fought Sefer Seferi in Manchester which handed him his first victory since conquering Klitschko.

This was followed by a dominant second victory over Fransisco Pianeta which declared him ready to face current champion Deontay Wilder.

Fury was close to world glory again with a controversial draw against Wilder, after being forced to rise from a last-round knockdown which showed his resilience and fighting spirit.

After victories against Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin, Fury was more popular than ever and put his name in the history books with a dominant rematch victory over Wilder after replacing trainer Davison with SugarHill Steward.

Now he stands as one of the greatest fighters of the modern era after a third historic victory over Wilder in a modern-era classic.

And his extraordinary journey to date has now made him one of fighting's most-loved personalities after his well-documented comeback inspired the world.

Now with the chance to become undisputed champion and continue his meteoric dominance, the 'Gypsy King' could not be further away from the depths of his royal decline.

Love and Fury: The Magic and Mayhem of Life with Tyson by Paris Fury is available now.

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