Tyson Fury cleared by police over hate crime allegation but will face hearing with BBBoC over recent comments

Fury will be asked to explain his comments to the British Boxing Board of Control in the new year after a string of controversial comments

Jack de Menezes
Friday 11 December 2015 09:21 GMT
Comments
Tyson Fury has been cleared by police over an allegation of hate crimes
Tyson Fury has been cleared by police over an allegation of hate crimes (Getty Images)

Tyson Fury faces a hearing with the British Boxing Board of Control in the new year following his controversial comments regarding homosexuality and gender, although the world heavyweight champion has been cleared by police investigating an allegation of hate crime.

27-year-old Fury has rocketed into the limelight since defeating Wladimir Klitschko on 28 November to win the IFB, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles, though he has since been stripped by the IBF for failing to negotiate a fight with their mandatory challenger, Vyacheslav Glazko, instead of his planned rematch with Klitschko.

But Fury’s success has also come at a cost, with intense criticism being thrown in his direction following controversial comments in which he compared homosexuals and abortion to paedophilia.

Fury spoke out on Thursday in an interview with Sky Sports to deny hating anyone, and while he stressed that he is free to speak his mind and will continue to do so, he added that the diversity of his own camp shows how he is “uniting the world”.

"My team is one of the most diverse teams in the world of boxing,” explained Fury.

"We've got Jamaicans in there, Pakistanis, Indians, Christians, Muslims. We are all united. Why don't they broadcast that - 'Tyson Fury is uniting the world - uniting Christians and Muslims in a time when everything is up in the air'?

"We don't hear about that, do we? We don't hear about the good things I'm doing. We just hear about the comments that people want to twist and try to make it sound like I hate people and I hate the world.

"I love all of God's children, we are all God's children. No matter what somebody does, it's not up to me to judge them, it's not up to you to judge them. God will judge them."

The BBBoC has confirmed that they have informed Fury of a hearing after a meeting in Cardiff on Wednesday. It’s added that they want to discuss Fury’s recent comments, although a date is yet to be confirmed.

Fury has clashed with the BBCoC in the past, having been fined £3,000 and warned over his future conduct in 2013 after describing Liverpool-born boxers David Price and Tony Bellew as “gay lovers” in one of his infamous Twitter rants.

However, Bellew has come out in defence of Fury and, ahead of his fight this weekend with Mateusz Masternak, he says that Fury should be allowed to “enjoy his moment” because no one was criticising the comments he made when he wasn’t heavyweight world champion.

"I think it's disgraceful that people build the guy up to knock him down," Bellew told Press Association.

"He had these same comments 12 months ago. No-one cared. Why is everybody caring now? Because he beat Wladimir Klitschko?

"I don't believe for one moment that Tyson Fury believes homosexuals and paedophiles are the same. I don't believe that for one minute.

"I don't agree with everything that some people say. Tyson as well. But ultimately he's entitled to his opinion.

"I believe all paedophiles should be executed, publicly. Every single one of them. They can't be saved.

"That's what they like to do. Touch little boys and little girls. I believe they should be executed.

Tony Bellew fights Mateusz Masternak this weekend on the Anthony Joshua v Dillian Whyte undercard (Getty Images)

"You can stick me in a gas chamber and I'm not going to change those views. I don't care what people think or what people say: he's entitled to his opinion.

"I'm not saying everything he says is right. But what I am saying is he's just beat the heavyweight champion of the world.

"Let him have his time, let him enjoy his moment, because 12 months ago no-one gave a s*** about Tyson Fury."

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that no charges would be pressed against Fury after they received an allegation of hate crimes against the boxer. Speaking on BBC Radio 2 earlier this week, Fury had reiterated his previous comments, as he told Jeremy Vine: "Homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia - them three things need to be accomplished before the world finishes. That's what the Bible tells me."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in