Fury as Tyson Fury fails to even make the shortlist for BBC SPOTY

Fury from his fans and trainer as boxer Tyson Fury fails to even make the shortlist for BBC SPOTY despite his 12th-round heroics in heavyweight battle against Deontay Wilder

  • Tyson Fury was snubbed by the BBC SPOTY committee, leading to fan outrage 
  • Geraint Thomas won the main award, but Fury didn’t even make the shortlist 
  • The online outrage was led by his coach Ben Davidson who slammed the BBC
  • Piers Morgan and thousands of other fans also tweeted in support of the boxer 

Tyson Fury’s omission from the six-person shortlist for this year’s Sports Personality of the Year has prompted outrage among his fans on social media. 

Though his titanic tussle against WBC champion Deontay Wilder ended in a draw in Las Vegas, his incredible comeback from crippling depression and a suicide attempt inspired people around the world. 

Geraint Thomas won the main gong at tonight’s ceremony in Birmingham, beating Lewis Hamilton and Harry Kane, but Fury wasn’t even considered by the BBC SPOTY panel. 

The boxer was nominated for the Sporting Moment of the Year but also lost out on that award, with the England Netball’s team Commonwealth Games victory in Australia winning the prize. 

Fury’s trainer Ben Davidson led the angry outcry, tweeting: ‘What an opportunity for @BBCSPOTY to do there part in raising awareness for mental health and many other things, to help inspire people. 

‘For a man to come back from where he has, while at the same time saving thousands of lives along with inspiring millions. Shame on them.’ 

The boxer had been the bookies’ fourth favourite before the shortlist was announced. 


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And his trainer wasn’t the only person left fuming by Fury’s lack of nomination. 

Piers Morgan tweeted: ‘Tyson Fury not even nominated? What a joke.’

Boxing fans and sports stars united in their anger at Fury’s snub.

One Twitter user said: ‘So Tyson Fury battles back from depression, obesity, drug addiction and the brink of suicide, all but wins the heavyweight title of the world, donates all his £8million earnings from the fight to the homeless & doesn’t even get nominated.

A grinning Tyson Fury attended the ceremony, looking completely recovered from his epic contest against Deontay Wilder on December 1

Fury’s trainer Ben Davidson and Piers Morgan led the outrage after Tyson Fury wasn’t even nominated for this year’s SPOTY

‘This country is a shambles.’

Another said: ‘Tyson Fury has done more to inspire people than the rest of your short list combined. Shameful.’

A third said: ‘Tyson Fury robbed in Britain and America in the space of weeks. Could not write it.’  

Despite the snub, the boxer gave a stirring speech to celebrate his comeback when he appeared at the ceremony. 

Thousands of boxing fans took to Twitter to blast the decision to not even nominate Fury, with some saying that the boxer was robbed

He smiled as he insisted he should’ve been named the WBC champion before discussing his mental health issues. 

He said: ‘It was a special moment in my life and career. Everyone knows what I’ve been through in 2017 and 2018, they were terrible years.

‘This year I decided I wanted to get back to the top of heavyweight boxing and I dedicated my life to the sport.

‘I should be WBC heavyweight champion of the world and everyone knows it!’

Fury was invited to challenge Wilder and Anthony Joshua by presenter Gary Lineker but declined to offer hope to people suffering with mental health problems. 

He said: ‘ I wanted to show the world anything was possible. If I can get through it then so can you.’

His snub prompted a wave of outrage on social media, led by his trainer Ben Davidson, but the boxer was eloquent as he spoke about his mental health issues

Bookmaker Paddy Power refunded all bets placed on Fury winning the award as a ‘Justice Refund’

Paddy Power refunded all bets on Fury to win Sports Personality of the Year, after the boxer was controversially omitted from the shortlist.

Despite his inspiring comeback story – and stunning rise from the canvas in the final round of his contested draw against Deontay Wilder – Fury was left off the final shortlist, with cyclist Geraint Thomas eventually taking home the crown.

Spokesman Paddy Power said: ‘If you were to take the award literally, Tyson is the biggest personality in sport. He’s also one of the biggest people in sport full-stop.

‘His return to the ring was sensational and inspiring, and that was reflected in the huge backing he got in our betting market – for that reason, we’ve decided to refund all bets on him winning as a justice refund.’

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