More down time for Fury

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will have to wait until next year to discover whether his suspension from boxing will be lifted. The British Boxing Board of Control suspended Fury in 2016 for drug and medical issues amid a separate UK Anti-Doping investigation (UKAD).

That UKAD case ended on Tuesday when Fury accepted a backdated two-year doping ban for elevated levels of nandrolone in urine samples following a fight in February 2015.

Acknowledging the UKAD decision, the BBBofC said yesterday: “Tyson Fury’s boxing licence suspension will be considered by the stewards of the board in January.”

Robert Smith, general secretary of the BBBofC, said that the priority is making sure that Fury is “healthy, mentally fit, and physically fit” to resume fighting.

“He obviously has work to do to lose weight and get fighting fit, and that may take some time,” Smith said, “but we have to make sure he is mentally and physically OK. We will take our time and do the job properly. We won’t be rushed into anything.

“He’s been off for a long time, and you can’t just click your fingers and get back into a competitive boxing ring. We have to be satisfied with regard to his medical health.”

Smith predicted that Fury would need “one or two warm-up contests” before challenging for the world title again.