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Tyson Fury has revealed that he sent a letter from his lawyers to the BBC in an attempt to be removed from the list of finalists for Sports Personality of the Year.
The world heavyweight champion said he asked “politely” when he posted an Instagram message earlier this month. But now he has taken more steps to be removed from the contender list.
He told Good Morning Britain: “I kindly asked in a video to be taken off the list and they decided they were not going to take me off the list. So I had my lawyers send them a letter demanding that they remove me from the list and hopefully they will listen to me and remove me from the list. “
Fury wrote on his Instagram account earlier this month: “This is a message for bbcsport and their SPOTY award, please take me off your list because I am the people’s champion and I do not need verification or any awards,” he wrote. “I know who I am and what I have done in sport. I have the love of people, which means more to me than all the awards in the world. Anyone who supports me, don’t vote ”.
Fury’s initial inclusion on this year’s SPOTY list had sparked controversy as he had previously served a two-year doping ban and is under active investigation by the UK Anti-Doping Agency following allegations that a member of the Tyson Fury’s team offered a farmer £ 25,000 to provide a false defense after the heavyweight champion failed a drug test in 2015.
Fury’s previous appearance on the shortlist in 2015 caused controversy, with more than 100,000 people signing a petition calling for the boxer’s removal over a series of outspoken comments about homophobia and abortion. But in 2018, Fury’s omission from the final list, following his draw against Deontay Wilder, drew criticism from the boxer’s field, including his then-trainer Ben Davison, who called the decision an “embarrassment.”
This year’s shortlist also includes first seed Lewis Hamilton, plus Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stuart Broad, Jordan Henderson and Hollie Doyle.
The fighter also went on to discuss how to take on Anthony Joshua in what would be one of the most anticipated fights in decades. He said it would be “one of the most explosive and fastest fights we will ever see” and was “optimistic” that it would happen. “My goal is to eliminate him in four rounds,” Fury said. “He stands in my way of total supremacy in my day. Immortality awaits. I’m one win away from that. “
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