Ricky Hatton reaches out to Tyson Fury: ‘I just hope he’s OK’

Ricky Hatton

RICKY HATTON reached out to Tyson Fury last week after reports emerged concerning the heavyweight champion’s mental health, though he is yet to hear back.

After Tyson withdrew from his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko on medical grounds, it was claimed he is suffering from depression.

Tyson has since opened up on the issue and admitted to taking cocaine in recent months, and having dealt with both depression and drug abuse Hatton hope to have a quiet word with Fury.

“I tried phoning Tyson last week to try and have a little word in his ear just to make sure heโ€™s OK but he hasnโ€™t got back to me, which is a worrying sign,” he told Boxing News.

“I hope he gets back to me, Iโ€™m no expert but heโ€™s probably going through the same things I did.

“I canโ€™t make my mind up on where Tysonโ€™s at. He doesnโ€™t look good, to be honest. Heโ€™s going through depression and heโ€™s up and down and this and that, itโ€™s very, very worrying.”

After his losses to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Hatton slipped into depression and contemplated suicide – something Tyson has also claimed to have done.

Stories were also leaked to the press about the Mancunian hero taking recreational drugs, though ‘The Hitman’ has moved through his dark past and now discusses it with real honesty.

Just the other day Tyson took to social media to insist he was retiring from boxing, only to claim it was all a ruse three hours later. Such actions have worried Hatton, who has always had a good relationship with the enigmatic heavyweight.

“Knowing how bad I was at one point, it is bad. Itโ€™s not good,” he continued.

“He said heโ€™s going to retire, then says he isnโ€™t, itโ€™s an incredible thing to say, I donโ€™t know how he could say it. It makes me think heโ€™s not in such a nice place to be saying things like that.

“I know Tyson as a friend and I know heโ€™s not everybodyโ€™s cup of tea with some of the things he says but I just hope heโ€™s OK. He might be OK and he might just be being Tyson Fury but if he is bad and he is depressed then I just hope he is safe and heโ€™s OK and gets the help he needs.”

Fury has said he is receiving treatment for his condition, while the status of his WBA and WBO world titles still remains a mystery. The WBO have given him today as a deadline to provide proof and further information of his medical condition while the WBA are still pondering whether to strip him or not.

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