World champion Tyson Fury gives up titles, loses boxing license

Boxing world champion Tyson Fury has had his licence suspended by British authorities on Thursday after vacating his three heavyweight titles to focus on what his manager called recovery from “a serious medical condition.”

Late Wednesday Fury announced he would give up his belts after a long break from boxing taken after he defeated Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts with a victory in Germany last November.

On Thursday the British Boxing Board of Control said Fury’s license was suspended pending “further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues.”

Since his last outing in the ring 11 months ago, Fury has admitted to taking drugs and suffering from manic depression in an interview.

“I’m unable to defend [my titles] at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured World titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best,” Fury said in the statement on the website of his management Hennessy Sports.

“I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer,” he added.

On Monday, the World Boxing Organization had issued a deadline telling Fury to demonstrate why his title “should not be vacated due to inactivity, breach of contract and performance enhancing drugs and stimulants.”

A fight between Klitschko and the Briton Anthony Joshua is now expected for the newly-vacant world heavyweight titles.

Source: GNA