FURY IS DOWN...BUT DON’T COUNT HIM OUT YET
TYSON Fury’s spectacular fall from grace looks complete but it is not terminal. Not quite. Not yet. The world heavyweight champion has relinquished his belts — though the midnight timing of his announcement suggests it was like drawing teeth from the Gypsy King. The licence to box in this country has gone, too, but there is light at the end of a dark tunnel in the British Boxing Board of Control’s decision to suspend him rather than impose an outright ban. That gives Fury the chance to present to a hearing facts about his medical conditions — specifically his clinical depression — as mitigation for admitted cocaine abuse. The door is open for Fury, 28, to request a personal hearing once he completes what is likely to be a lengthy spell of treatment. That process may be complicated by his November 4 appearance before a tribunal to refute allegations of a failed steroids test last year. But the Board’s stance shows a willingness to help Fury on his road to recovery. Fury will also have to help himself. Whatever others have said about him — and some comments have been as hurtful as his own outbursts against women, homosexuals and Jews — many of his problems have been self-inflicted. While there may be some validity in his view that there is prejudice against the travelling community, his complaint that he was given scant praise for beating long-reigning heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko is unjustified. And criticism of his twice failing to go through with a rematch against Ukraine’s Klitschko would have been less strident had he been frank about his depression. But there are signs of genuine contrition in his decision to give up his world titles. Britain’s Anthony Joshua — who inherited the IBF title stripped from Fury this year — can attempt to unify the WBA, WBO and IBO belts with his own — perhaps against Klitschko as early as December 10. If not, Joshua could defend his IBF crown against another fighter as Klitschko begins his own comeback in Hamburg the same night. Assuming both win, the stage would be set for them to collide at Wembley Stadium next spring. By then, Fury could have been reinstated as mandatory challenger. By ending the chaos, Fury has given himself a chance of fighting again for the world championship. If only for his conquest of Klitschko, it is the shot at redemption he deserves.