CONTROVERSIAL boxer Tyson Fury has taken to social media to defend himself after being criticised for making controversial comments about women and homosexuality.

The world champion boxer was reported to police by Ian Sawyer, a gay former police officer from Manchester, and officers will take a statement from him.

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Mr Fury hit back after one of the other sportsmen to be shortlisted for the Sports Personality of the Year, Greg Rutherford, revealed he had threatened to pull out of the awards in response to the comments,but decided to stay on after an appeal from the BBC.

Mr Fury tweeted: "Just to set the record straight I don't hate homosexuals! U heard it from the Gypsy king.!!!!"


Mr Rutherford tweeted: "I have opinions, of which I was privately clear. I DID pull out of SPOTY, on Sunday I wrote to the BBC requesting removal.

"Throughout the next 2 days the SPOTY team asked me to stay on. Also, I realised my nomination meant so much to my family."


A petition aimed at the BBC calling on Mr Fury to be dropped from the awards ceremony, to be held on December 20, has now collected more than 130,000 signatures.

Mr Fury has also had an invitation from the Sports Journalists' Association to attend the British Sports Awards withdrawn, in light of the controversy.

The SJA claimed that Mr Fury had made threats to 'at least one sports journalist', following an interview with sports journalist Oliver Holt published in a national newspaper.

Mr Fury has faced criticism over comments about women, saying Jessica Ennis-Hill 'looks good in a dress', and saying that his wife's job is 'cooking and cleaning and looking after these kids, that's it'.

He has also caused controversy by saying homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia must be 'accomplished' before the world ends.