By Gabriel Princewill-
Tyson Fury , the unbeaten 6ft 9 inches Wbc champion, has threatened legal action against the BBC if he is named on the shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year award this year.
The world heavyweight champion who produced an epic performance in defeating big puncher Deontey Wilder in October, is grudging the BBC for past nominations which have never resulted in him winning the annual awards. And the gypsy king, who also suffers from bipolar, would rather not be on the nominations at all, than be shortlisted and come up second or third best.
Fury was first nominated for the annual awards in 2015, after his surprise victory against former reigning heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, but his nomination was marred by a petition launched to eliminate him from the list due to homophobic and sexist comments he made. He came up fourth best on that occassion.
He subsequently undertook a hiatus in the sport, as he battled his mental health demons, a time during which his English counterpart, Anthony Joshua, took over, until the londoner was bashed up in June 2019, then again last September by Olegsander Usyk, putting Fury right at the apex of the division, following concurrent victories against explosive hitting Alabama fighter, Deontey Wilder.
Now dominating the heavyweight division, Fury is a stranger to defeat, and and is closing every potential door to anything less than the best and superior human being he sees himself as. He has expressed cynicsm that the BBC will ever allow him emerge the winner of the Sports Personality Of The Year Awards- an outcome which is in fact determined by voters.
Fury has insisted that the national broadcaster will be hearing from his lawyers if they attempt to nominate him again, though the gypsy king who is no legal expert, did not cite which law his legal representatives would rely on to compel the BBC not to include him in the short list for this year’s awards selection process.
He told the Telegraph: “It means nothing to me and I don’t need it or want it.
“In fact, they will hear from my solicitors if they do put me on the list. Give it to someone who needs it. I don’t.”
Fury believes that he doesn’t need an award to validate that he is the sports personality of the year, having
“We know who the sports personality of the year is anyway – it’s me,” he continued. “I am the sports personality. Who does what I do, goes through a war in Las Vegas, entertains the fans, and then sings to the audience?”
The elected winner is the sportsperson, judged by a public vote, to have achieved the most that year. The recipient must either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the United Kingdom.
With just ine fight this year, albeit a major win, it may be that Fury is exercising nough foresight to see that he may not be the most eligible for the top spot, and would rather not be numbered with others in a decision he has no say in.
“They wouldn’t give it to me and give me credit if I won 50 world title belts from the people who put it on, and I don’t care,” Fury explained.
“I should have won it three times already. I’ve got my wife and my kids. That’s all the awards I need. I’ll sue [the BBC] if they put me on.”
Fury is expected to defend his title for the second time early next year at a UK stadium, likely against an opponent yet to be determined.
Dillian Whyte is meant to hold the mandatory position for that fight, but is apparently still being sidelined due to an ongoing legal battle he has with the World Boxing Council (Wbc)
The BBC declined to comment on Fury’s statement.