Kellie Maloney: Tyson Fury’s career will suffer over anti-gay comments
Former boxing promoter Kellie Maloney has said she thinks Tyson Fury’s career will suffer because of comments he made about gays and women.
World Heavyweight champion Fury has refused to apologise for claiming that once homosexuality, paedophilia and abortion are all made legal, the world will end.
The boxer also claims to have “evidence” that paedophilia was legalised by a fictional ‘Gay Rights Act 1977’ – but the BBC has resisted pressure to rescind his Sports Personality of the Year nomination.
Maloney has said Fury could be fined, but more importantly that she thinks he will fail to get high-profile endorsements because of his comments.
She told the BBC: “I believe the Board of Control are having a hearing. They will discuss it and he will be called up in front of the board, but what can they do to him?
“They can fine him. It means all the world governing bodies should take some action against him.”
She went on: “I think his comments will harm him to get endorsements. I don’t think you will see the likes of Adidas, Nike or any of the blue chip companies wanting to endorse Tyson Fury.
“I think he has made a terrible mistake and his management team should have realised this because they know what he is like.”
Olympic track and field star Greg Rutherford has threatened to pull out of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award if Tyson Fury remains in the shortlist.
Fury has been uninvited from the awards ceremony because of threatening comments he allegedly made to a sports journalist.
As well as calling those who have signed the petition “50,000 wankers”, Fury has taken to Twitter – to claim he doesn’t want the award anyway.
The boxer wrote: “Hopefully I don’t win @BBCSPOTY as I’m not the best roll model in the world for the kids, give it to someone who would appreciate it [prayer emojis].”
However, he also added: “I’ve got more personality than all the other competitors put together in this years @BBCSPOTY who can compete with my sporting achievement!
“The Gypsy King, & the heavyweight champion of the world, will not be silenced I’ll always speak my mind, Like it or lump it, in Jesus name.”
Despite his comments, the BBC says it will not alter the nominations.
A spokesperson said: “The Sports Personality shortlist is compiled by a panel of industry experts and is based on an individual’s sporting achievement – it is not an endorsement of an individual’s personal beliefs either by the BBC or members of the panel.”
Last week a challenger to Tyson Fury’s heavyweight champ title warned him to watch his mouth.
BBC News presenter Clive Myrie, during a live newspaper review on the BBC News channel branded Fury a “dickhead” after checking that it was “after the watershed”.
