TYSON FURY'S controversial fortnight as the world heavyweight champion took another turn on Thursday when he was summoned to meet the British Board of Control for Boxing in the new year.
Fury will be asked to explain recent comments he has made relating to homosexuals in the wake of his upset win over long-time champion Wladimir Klitschko on November 28. The 27-year-old has remained defiant throughout the ensuing public backlash - with calls for the boxer to be removed from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award shortlist - and, on Thursday, he made another impassioned defence of his polarising views when he denied he was a homophobe, while also insisting he was "uniting the world".
The BBBC confirmed it had informed Fury on Wednesday night, following a meeting to discuss the matter, that it wanted to discuss his comments at a date still to be confirmed. It is not the first time Fury will face the BBBC after he was fined £3,000 and warned about his future conduct in 2013 after describing Liverpool fighters David Price and Tony Bellew as "gay lovers" in an abusive message on Twitter.
But in a further twist to the ongoing saga, Bellew, on Thursday, strongly defended Fury - during an interview in which the cruiserweight also called for the public execution of paedophiles.
"I think it's wrong. I think it's disgraceful that people build the guy up to knock him down," Bellew said.
"He had these same comments 12 months ago. No-one cared. Why is everybody caring now? Because he beat Wladimir Klitschko? I don't believe for one moment that Tyson Fury believes homosexuals and paedophiles are the same. I don't believe that for one minute."
He added: "I don't agree with everything that some people say. Tyson as well. But ultimately, he's entitled to his opinion.
"I believe all paedophiles should be executed, publicly. Every single one of them. They can't be saved. That's what they like to do. Touch little boys and little girls. I believe they should be executed. You can stick me in a gas chamber and I'm not going to change those views. I don't care what people think or what people say: he's entitled to his opinion.
"I'm not saying everything he says is right. But what I am saying is, he's just beat the heavyweight champion of the world. Let him have his time, let him enjoy his moment because 12 months ago no-one gave a s*** about Tyson Fury."
High-profile promoter Eddie Hearn said Fury had an obligation to be a role model now that he was world champion, but believes he deserves to remain on the SPOTY shortlist given his performance in the ring against Klitschko.
"I don't think he's going to change. I think he has a responsibility now as heavyweight champion of the world to be a role model and be an ambassador for the game," Hearn said.
"But he also has a responsibility to be himself. You're either going to like him or hate him. It won't be the first time a boxer has had that kind of response from the public and it won't be the last. Should he be in Sports Personality of the Year based on his achievements? Yes. Should he be kicked out of Sports Personality of the Year for saying what he believes in? No, I don't think so."
Fury has claimed he is not interested in winning the BBC prize, insisting he has "more personality in the end of my little finger" than his shortlisted rivals. He has not ignored the controversy about his candidacy, however, which included comments about heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, who he said "slaps up good" and "looks quite fit" in a dress and that a women's place is in the kitchen.
Fury also said in an interview with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 this week: "Homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia - them three things need to be accomplished before the world finishes. That's what the Bible tells me."
Fury made another media appearance on Thursday when he was directly asked if he was a homophobe in a Sky Sports News interview, saying: "No, definitely not. I wouldn't be a very good Christian if I hated anybody, would I? If Jesus loves the world, I love the world."
Fury believes his words have been twisted in the media and said the ethnicity of the team he works with was an example of how he was "uniting Christians and Muslims".
"My team is one of the most diverse teams amongst religions in the world of boxing," he said.
"We've got Jamaicans in there, we've got Pakistanis in there, we've got Indians in there; Christians, Muslims, we're all united. What about that? 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?"
Greater Manchester Police said that it would not be taking further hate crime allegations against the boxer. Fury had labelled complaints a "joke" and instead suggested he should file a complaint for abuse he claims he has received.
"If the police are going to waste the taxpayers' money in investigating Tyson Fury for being hated, then that's just a joke. It's a waste of taxpayers' money," he said.
The force said that, while the comments had been recorded as a "hate incident", it was taking no further action after interviewing the complainant.
A GMP spokesman said: "The circumstances in which these comments were made suggest that no criminal offence has taken place and this matter will not be investigated any further."
