Kellie Maloney has said Tyson Fury has become "a bit of a monster” and said he crossed the line with disparaging comments about homosexuality and women.
The boxing promoter, who used to manage former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, reportedly told CNN the boxer, despite his “fantastic” achievements, should be removed from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award - which continues to be shrouded in controversy over its decision to shortlist Fury.
“Even though Fury’s the heavyweight champion of the world, he still has to respect other human beings and respect the diversity that’s in this world.
“He’s now a role model, he’s now got a lot of young people looking up to him. He’s the champion of the world, he’s the number one… and to make comments like that, it’s really bad.”
Fury’s heavyweight victory over Wladimir Klitschko has been overshadowed by comments he made in an interview with the Mail on Sunday in November where he appeared to compare homosexuality with paedophilia.
“There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home: one of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one’s paedophilia. Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalised?”
He later attempted to clarify these comments on BBC Radio 2, saying: “I don’t think gay people are like paedophiles. Two adults consenting to love each other is a different matter to someone messing with a child.”
A petition calling for Fury to be taken off the SPOTY shortlist over these remarks has now amassed over 122,000 signatures.
The 27-year-old has also been criticised for making sexist comments, including claiming a woman’s best place “is in the kitchen and on her back”.
Maloney, 62, said she believed Fury should be “punished and fined” for his remarks and said, in boxing, “monsters” are created.
“Tyson has always been outspoken and said what he wants to say… in a way he's become a bit of a monster because now he's at the top of the pile," reports CNN.
Maloney, formerly Frank Maloney announced she had come out of retirement to return to boxing promoting after undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
