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People Are Calling For Tyson Fury To Be Crowned Sports Personality Of The Year

People Are Calling For Tyson Fury To Be Crowned Sports Personality Of The Year

He was just a dubious scorecard away from completing the perfect comeback in Las Vegas

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

Tyson Fury has amassed a whole new legion of fans following his pulsating draw with WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder.

Many feel he deserved to be crowned as the new champion on his return, but the fight was deemed a draw. In place of the belt, people are calling for Fury to be named as the Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.

It is certainly tough to argue it has been an exceptional year for the boxer. Just making it to the ring was a huge battle and triumph for Fury, who lost ten stone prior to the fight, overcoming drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems along the way.

Many had written off his chances of returning to anything like his best, but he proved them all wrong against Wilder and was widely regarded to have outboxed the champion.

His remarkable comeback was symbolically mirrored in the 12th round, with a fitting act of astonishing heart and resilience.

Wilder, who is considered to be one of the hardest hitters in the sport's history, dropped Fury for the second time in the fight. The Gypsy King was left spreadeagled on the canvas and it seemed for all the world like the 30-year-old was going to fall just short.

Fury got up from the canvas twice to deliver what many believed should have been a winning performance on his return.
PA

But somehow, there was more fight left in the big man, who sat up like WWE's The Undertaker and fought on until the end, even taunting the astonished Wilder.

As if this performance wasn't enough, he delivered a rousing speech into the camera after the fight, dedicating the victory to everyone suffering from mental health problems.

"It's an iconic comeback, isn't it? After two-and-a-half years out the ring, ten stone ballooned, mental health problems.

"I just showed the world tonight, and everyone suffering with mental health problems, you can come back, and it can be done.

"Everybody out there who has the same problems I've been suffering with, I did that for you guys.

"You know the truth. Everybody knows I won that fight, and if I can come back from where I've come from then you can do it too.

"So, get up, get over it and let's do it. Seek help, and let's do it together as a team. I did it for you guys."

He has also since claimed that he would donate the purse from the fight to the poor and homeless.

Fury is currently the bookies fourth favourite to win the award, behind Lewis Hamilton, Geraint Thomas and Harry Kane. But many feel Fury's achievements warrant the accolade from the BBC:


However, others argue that Fury's past means he shouldn't be given the award.

He has made numerous offensive remarks in recent years, some of which were sexist, homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic. He was also originally banned from boxing for using an anabolic steroid.

Consequently, some feel it would be wrong to give him the award and present him as a role model.

This year he has evidently demonstrated the fortitude, skill and resolve wholly deserving of the award. But in the past, he has said and done some completely deplorable things.

The question then is to what extent the Sports Personality of the Year award should take into account previous years.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: uk news, Tyson Fury