Tyson Fury relinquishes remaining major belts he won from Wladimir Klitschko

Challenger Tyson Fury, right, and world champion Wladimir Klitschko, left, stand on the podium after the Official Weigh-In in Essen, Germany, prior their heavyweight boxing fight, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. The title clash will take place in Duesseldorf's LTU arena on Saturday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissne

Tyson Fury, right, and Wladimir Klitschko pose after weighing in for their heavyweight title fight this past November in Germany/Associated Press photo by Martin Meissner

 

The much-maligned Tyson Fury on Wednesday gave up the two remaining major heavyweight championship belts he won from Wladimir Klitschko this past November in Germany.

Fury since has twice pulled out of scheduled rematches with Klitschko, and recently Fury admitted to doing cocaine. He is also reportedly suffering from depression.

His promotional company, Hennessy Sports, released a statement. It read, in part, that Fury was giving up his titles “to fully focus on his medical treatment and recovery.”

Fury said, “I feel that it is only fair and right and for the good of boxing to keep the titles active and allow the other contenders to fight for the vacant belts that I proudly won and held as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world when I defeated the long-standing champion Wladimir Klitschko. I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost in the ring, but I’m unable to defend 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 as I now enter another big challenge in my life which, I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer.”

Fury, 25-0 with 18 knockouts, won three major titles from Klitschko. Fury, 28, had already been stripped of one of them for agreeing to fight Klitschko in a rematch rather than his mandatory challenger – Vyacheslav Glazkov.

 

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Tyson Fury for the second time pulls out of rematch with Wladimir Klitschko

Tyson Fury/Photo courtesy of Hennessy Sports

 

The heavyweight championship rematch between Tyson Fury of England and Wladimir Klitschko of the Ukraine on Friday was called off for the second time. The two were to tangle Oct. 29 in England, but a statement from Hennessy Sports, which promotes Fury, indicated it won’t happen.

The two first fought this past November in Germany, Fury winning a unanimous decision and Klitshcko’s three belts. They were slated to go at it again in July, but Fury claimed to have a sprained ankle.

Here is the today’s statement, verbatim, from Hennessy Sports: “It is with the deepest regret that we have to announce that the World Heavyweight Championship rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, scheduled to take place on the 29th October 2016 at the Manchester Arena, will not be going ahead.

“Tyson has, this week, been declared medically unfit to fight. Medical specialists have advised that the condition is too severe to allow him to participate in the rematch and that he will require treatment before going back into the ring. Tyson will now immediately undergo the treatment he needs to make a full recovery.

“We and Tyson wish to express our sincerest apologies to all those concerned with the event and all the boxing fans who had been looking forward to the rematch. Tyson is understandably devastated by the development.

“We will be making a further statement in due course. Until then, we ask that Tyson and his family be given the privacy and the space he needs to recover during this difficult time.

 The statement did not include what is wrong with Fury. A story on ESPN.com that cited sources suggested mental health issues might be at the forefront.
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