• Tyson Fury v Kevin Johnson

Fury conquers demons and wants Wlad

Tyson Fury is looking to work his way towards a world title shot © PA Photos

Enlarge

Tyson Fury claims his inner demons are consigned to history and he is looking to take out Kevin Johnson on his way to a shot at Wladimir Klitschko.

Fury is unbeaten in 19 fights, 14 by way of knockout, but he claims only three of those bouts hold any significance. The 24-year-old feels the early years of his career were a waste; in his own words "I was fat and unfit."

But he is now completely focused on working his way towards a world title - starting with a meeting with Johnson on Saturday.

Despite the self-assessment as a three-fight novice, he sees himself as ready to take on anyone. "I say I'm a novice as those are the only three fights I prepared properly," he told the Evening Standard. "I've been in camp for most of the last 18 months. I've totally given up my life for this. Before, I was fat and unfit and would just get through the fight like they were wars.

"There were times in those fights I could have given in but, once you do that once, there's no giving up. You'll never give up. The only way someone will find me giving up is if I'm nailed to the canvas."

Fury claims he has won a battle with depression and is ready to step up and rip the heavyweight title from Klitschko.

He said: "The depression I was going through was because I was not training enough and not doing the right thing. I didn't know how to make it better. It was a mental problem and it was getting me down. It was one of them things. It's gone now, I've got a better camp. I don't think I have anything like that anymore. I don't know anyone in life that doesn't have days where they go 'this is s***'. I'm no different."

Looking at Klitschko, who was taken the distance by Mariusz Wach, he said: "Look at his face after that fight - he'd hardly got hit and he looked like he'd taken a beating. So just wait until someone hits him properly like me."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.