Just reading about how Tyson Fury has gained alot of weight over christmas and he apparently suffers from some kind of depression, so how common has it been in boxing? Ricky Hatton quite publicly battled with depression, even before the pacman fight, any other examples posters can think of? How did it affect the boxers career? Depression is a serious matter so keep things respectful.
If I remember correctly, both Randy Turpin and Freddie Mills suffered terribly with depression. Turpin ended up taking his own life because of it. I've often read about retired sportsmen battling depression, and I have often wondered that once they have retired, they battle to find a true purpose or meaning in their lives. I would imagine that being so driven with a singular purpose in mind for so many years, it is difficult for retired sportsmen to make that transition to everyday life, where most people are content to just get by, with no specific end goal in mind. I can't recall if it was the Tyson book or another that I've recently read, but in that particular book the fighter mentioned that retiring from the ring left him feeling without a purpose in life, and that it was extremely difficult to make that switch from sports star to Joe average.
Boxers are just like everybody else they have feelings too, so it's not uncommon for depression to affect them, just like everyday working folks like Cops, Fireman, Rock Musicians, Truck Drivers, etc. Johnny Tapia, and Oscar de la Hoya struggled with depression, and too many others to mention.
Another factor is that traumatic brain injuries exactly those sustained in boxing can contribute to or cause depression, one of the reason's why so many boxers have issues with depression later in life.
It's an unfortunate side effect of the brain trauma boxers suffer (it's quite common in football players, as well). The brain damage makes them more predisposed to getting depressed, and the circumstances of the boxing business (the dramatic highs and lows, the possibility of getting screwed by refs or judges for your hard work that has a material effect on your lifestyle, thrown away when you're done, cheated financially, etc.) certainly don't help matters, either.
