LONDON (Reuters) – WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is swapping his boxing gloves for a microphone with the release of his debut single, a remake of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”, for charity.
The 34-year-old British boxer, who has previously sung for crowds at matches as well as dueted with Robbie Williams, will put out the track, a crowd favourite at sporting events, on Nov. 11 in aid of men’s mental health charity Talk Club.
“‘Sweet Caroline’ is a record I’ve always loved, and I’m excited to record and release it,” Fury said in a statement, noting the single will come out just in time for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to give something back to mental health and hopefully continue to raise awareness for a cause that’s really close to my heart and if it helps England along the way in the World Cup, well that’s an added bonus.”
Fury stunned boxing fans in 2015 when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts. But he later struggled with mental health and substance abuse which derailed his career. He fought back and has been vocal about mental health awareness.
“Boxing has been a massive platform for me to spread the word on mental health and I have done it to the best of my ability,” said Fury, who will take on Derek Chisora in December.
“It has been widely printed about my highs and lows, ups and downs, so I’ve tried my best to keep talking about it as much as I can and keep trying to smash the stigma.”
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
