Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said he may renew his boxing licence with a different organisation as he believes the British Boxing Board of Control treated him poorly after he was charged by UK Anti-Doping in June 2016.
Fury, who tested positive for a banned steroid in February 2015, was cleared by UKAD on Tuesday to resume his career after agreeing a two-year backdated ban.
The Briton's licence was withdrawn by the British Boxing Board of Control last October and Fury said in a video posted to his official Instagram account on Wednesday that he had several options ahead of him as he prepares to get back in the ring.
"Who knows, I might not even go back to the British Boxing Board of Control after how they have conducted themselves and the manner in which they behaved around the whole thing," Fury said in the video, which has since been deleted.
"So get it out of your mind that it's cement I am going with you guys. Because I have a vast array of board of controls around the world with open arms welcoming the Gypsy King," he added before using an expletive to describe how he feels he was treated.
The 29-year-old, who has a 25-0 record, became WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO world champion when he beat Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 but has not fought since.
Billy Joe Saunders has welcomed Fury’s anticipated return to action in 2018 ahead of his own world-title defence against David Lemieux in Canada this weekend.
WBO world middleweight champion Saunders travels to Lemieux’s backyard to defend his title at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec on Saturday night in a bout that will be screened live in the UK and Ireland on BoxNation, while HBO broadcast the fight across the Atlantic.
The 28-year-old title holder’s old friend Fury will be ringside to support him this weekend and Saunders was delighted to hear this week’s news that his fellow Traveller and world champion Fury – the lineal heavyweight titlist – has been cleared to box again.
“I’m over the moon,” said Saunders, who predicted that a much-hyped showdown between Fury and current belt holder Anthony Joshua will take place in 2018.
“I’m just pleased that he’s been set free and he can go and earn a few quid. He’s with the MTK stable too now, so he can go to work and take [Anthony] Joshua on,” added the MTK Global-backed middleweight following Fury’s recent move to sign an advisory deal with the same management group.
“I’ll be going up and doing a bit of training with Tyson soon, 100 percent,” continued Saunders. “He’s in a different place now mentally and he’s the man – he’s the man at that weight. The ‘Gypsy King’ is back to get his gold back!”
