Fury wants credit for ´uniting the world´

Tyson Fury has stressed that he is not homophobic and says he should be praised for “uniting the world” rather than vilified for his recent controversial comments.

The 27-year-old sensationally beat Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf last month to win the WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles, the latter of which he has since been stripped of after failing to agree to a bout with mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov.

Fury has dominated the headlines for the wrong reasons after he was quoted by The Daily Mail expressing the view that homosexuality and abortion are two of three “evils” alongside paedophilia.

Greater Manchester Police revealed they are investigating a hate crime allegation against the 27-year-old over his comments on homosexuality.

The Brit also came in for criticism when footage emerged of him making a string of seemingly sexist remarks, including the suggestion that Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill “slaps up good”.

An online petition to have Fury removed from the shortlist for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award has since received over 100,000 signatures, while the British Boxing Board of Control have met to discuss his comments.

When asked by Sky Sports News HQ if he is homophobic, Fury said: “No. Definitely not. I wouldn’t be a very good Christian if I hated anybody. If Jesus loves the world, I love the world.

“I can actually say I haven’t got any hate for anybody. I have no enemies. I don’t hate any race, colour, creed, generation, nobody. My team is one of the most diverse teams amongst religions in the world of boxing.

“We’ve got Jamaicans in there, Pakistanis, Indians, Christians, Muslims. We are all united. Why don’t they broadcast that? ‘Tyson fury is uniting the world, uniting Christians and Muslims in a time when everything is up in the air’.

“We don’t hear about that, do we? We don’t hear about the good things I’m doing. We just hear about the comments that people want to twist and try to make it sound like I hate people and I hate the world.

“I love all of God’s children, we are all God’s children. No matter what somebody does, it’s not up to me to judge them, it’s not up to you to judge them. God will judge them.”