Britain’s new world boxing champion Tyson Fury celebrates with the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts.
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Fury has been embroiled in a sexism and homophobic row following his victory over Wladimir Klitshko.
Fury aired his views in an interview with the Mail on Sunday’s Oliver Holt before he beat long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf last weekend. They happen to be religious and rather moral in their sexual ethics – they’re the last group of indigenous Brits who really care about marriage, for instance – and because that Christianity and those ethics are on the whole Catholic rather than other, that loses them points with the people who award or withhold social approval as evidenced in the BBC award.
“He [Fury’s] got the talent to become heavyweight champion of the world, so give him his credit, but becoming heavyweight champion comes with responsibilities, because you’ve got people from kids to grandmas watching you”, he says. & after being shortlisted for the BBC’s Sports Character of the Yr, he stated fellow nominee Jessica Ennis-Hill “slaps up good” and appears “quite fit” in a dress. I wasn’t really exposed to that. “But back in the 50s and early 60s, for them first two to be made legal would have been looked on as a insane man again”.
A petition asking the BBC to remove Fury from the shortlist had attracted more than 45,000 signatures on Friday.
Among a number of other events to cause a stir, Fury’s nomination for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year has caused outrage among fans, who are calling for the Briton to be removed from the shortlist.
“Why should it be for a sportswoman not to look nice in dresses?”
When asked about women boxers he said: “It’s up to everybody what they want to do”. Are they not allowed to do that?
“My real problem is that Tyson has equated homosexuality with paedophilia and actually that is a very unsafe equation to make because it means that we don’t take child abuse seriously”, he said. “If anybody else wants to add to them they can add to their numbers can’t they”.
“I gather Mr Fury has subsequently said that some of his best friends are gay, ” he said.
However, the praise Fury has received for his performance has been overshadowed by the storm created by his apparent homophobic comments in an interview with a British newspaper. “Making me a good cup of tea, that’s what I believe”, Sport24 reported.
Yesterday he tweeted that he hopes he does not receive the award, because he isn’t a good “roll model” for children.
The 27-year-old went on to claim he was not interested in winning Sports Personality of the Year – but claimed if it came down to personality and sporting achievements, there would be only one victor.
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He went on to question contenders Lewis Hamilton and Andy Murray: “What personality does it take to drive a auto round a track 100 times or hit a ball back and forth?” “I am also aware of my position as a role model and I hope to be a positive ambassador for the sport of boxing for many years to come”.
