Controversial Boxer Tyson Fury Stripped Of Heavyweight Title Just Two Weeks After Winning It

In a separate development, Fury has been the subject of a hate crime complaint to Greater Manchester police.

Boxer Tyson Fury, who caused controversy with his recent comments on homosexuality and abortion, has been stripped of his IBF world heavyweight title just two weeks after winning it.

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Fury beat Ukrainian fighter Wladimir Klitschko on 28 November to win the IBF heavyweight belt, and subsequently agreed to a rematch with Klitschko.

But this decision was in breach of the IBF's rules, which stipulated that the winner of the fight should face mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov.

Glazkov had won the right to challenge for the title after winning 21 of his 22 professional bouts.

"It's true he's been stripped of his IBF belt," Lindsey Tucker, championships chair at the IBF, told BBC Sport.

"Our challenger was Vyacheslav Glazkov, but instead Fury's gone and signed a rematch clause with Wladimir Klitschko."

Fury was placed on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after beating Klitschko – a decision that caused controversy after the fighter compared abortion and homosexuality to paedophilia in an interview.

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The Manchester-born boxer told the Mail on Sunday that he believed three things were going to happen "before the devil comes home".

"One of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other is paedophilia," he said. "Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalised?"

Over 100,000 people have now signed a petition to get Fury removed from the shortlist, but the BBC has stood firm, claiming the "personality" competition was in fact about sporting achievements, and not about the personalities of sports stars.

In response to the Change.org petition, the BBC released the following statement:

"The nominees for BBC Sports Personality of the Year are decided on their sporting achievements. As Fury became heavyweight champion of the world over the weekend, the panel feel that he should be a contender for this year's award."

Following the BBC's statement, the boxer found himself at the centre of further controversy after a video emerged in which he commented on the appearance of British Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill.

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"That's the runner, isn't it?" said Fury. "She's good, she's won quite a few medals, she slaps up good as well. When she's got a dress on she looks quite fit."

He also commented that a "woman's best place is in the kitchen".

While the BBC have stood firm on their decision to include Fury in the SPOTY shortlist, the boxer's invitation to the British Sports Awards has been withdrawn after claims he threatened a journalist with violence.

Oliver Holt, the Mail on Sunday journalist who conducted the interview with Fury in which he compared homosexuality and abortion to pedophilia, has reportedly been the subject of threats from Fury's camp.

MailOnline claim Fury filmed himself saying: "See "big Shane" there. He's 6ft 6in and 25 stone. He's going break his [Holt's] jaw completely with one straight right hand. I won't do it as I'll get in trouble but the big fella there will annihilate him.

"Oliver, take a good look at him because that's the face you're going to see before you hit the deck.

"[Turning camera to another member of his team] And that's the face you're going to see when he's jumping on your head."

A spokesman for the Sports Journalists' Association, the body in charge of the British Sports Awards, said:

"We are aware of threats made by Tyson Fury against one of our members, and therefore feel that it would be incompatible with the nature of our event, or the interests of our members, our other guests and our sponsors, for us to continue to extend a welcome to Tyson Fury to our awards next week."

In a separate development, Fury could now be subject to an investigation by Greater Manchester police after they received a hate crime complaint.

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"We take every allegation of hate crime extremely seriously and we will be attending the victim's address to take a statement," a police spokesperson said.

Police told BuzzFeed News they will now look to take a statement from the complainant, and decide whether to pursue an investigation against Fury.

Fury hasn't responded to the allegations of a hate crime, but has been active on social media since the news emerged.

Gypsy King @Tyson_Fury

I have the press camped outside my house! Lol me famous 😀😀😀😀😀😁😁😁😁

10:59 AM - 09 Dec 2015

Gypsy King @Tyson_Fury

The end is near repent of your sins, Remember what the bible says,!

10:38 AM - 09 Dec 2015

A 5News journalist managed to speak to Tyson Fury today by joining him on a jog.

youtube.com

"What about this belt?" the journalist asked Fury.

"What about it?" the boxer replied.

Here's a full transcript of what happened next:

Journalist: "Well you tell me, what about it..."

Fury: "Well you tell me, what about it?"

Journalist: "Well should they be taking it off you?"

Fury: "I think they should take them all of me if they want."

Journalist: "You want to give all the belts up."

Fury: "Listen, if they want to..."

Journalist: "Have you said too much?"

Fury: "If they want to take the belts, they can take them. But they'll never take what I've done and my achievements."

Journalist: "You said too much, are you at a point now where this is backfiring?"

Fury: "But hold on, the speech has got nothing to do with the belt being stripped."

Journalist: "I know that, but everything's happening at once now isn't it?"

Fury: "I know, it's fantastic, I'm 'Mr Famous' at the moment."

Journalist: "Are you angry with people?"

Fury: "All I've got to say is blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ, we have no hatred towards anybody, only love.

Journalist: "Do you take back anything you've said?"

Fury: "Whatever I've said, I've said. But all I can say is we don't hate anybody. Jesus loves the world, as do I."

Journalist: "What about the meeting in Cardiff today?"

Fury: "Jesus loves the world."

Journalist: "But what about this [Board of Control] meeting in Cardiff today?"

Fury: "Blessed be the Lord, that's all I can say."

Journalist: "But you face possible punishment?"

Fury: "Blessed be the Lord."

Journalist: "We'll leave you to it, I can't keep up with you Tyson."

Fury: "I can't stop, I've got to train unfortunately. But blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ."

Fury later tweeted that he believes he will win BBC Sports Personality of the Year because "good always defeats evil".

Gypsy King @Tyson_Fury

I'm going to win this year!!!!! Good always defeats evil,

01:52 PM - 09 Dec 2015