Tyson Fury has the fists of a champion but the mouth of moron

Britain's world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has been championed by many as refreshing and colourful. Photo / Getty Images

Tyson Fury's elevation to world heavyweight boxing champion has had deeply disturbing consequences.

His shock victory over Wladimir Klitschko has given Fury, a 27-year-old Brit of Irish Traveller heritage, a global platform to spout his ignorant, bigoted and hateful views. Fury has generated thousands of headlines around the world for his sexist and homophobic ravings since his title win in Germany last weekend.

But that's not even the most unsettling part about it.

Of more concern is that Fury's rise has been welcomed by many as "just what the sport needs".

As the Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward wrote, Fury's "incitement to hatred is a hell of a lot more dangerous" than any punch he could throw, so it is infuriating to hear others excuse, if not blatantly condone, Fury's ravings by claiming his "colourful" personality is a breath of fresh air for the sport.

In many quarters Fury's vile statements and bullying behaviour seem have been recast as all part of his weird and wacky charm. He may have made abhorrent comments on homosexuals, immigration, abortion, and the role of women, but he sings bad renditions of power ballads after every win. Oh, ho, ho, what a character!

Boxing must be in a pretty messed up place if a religious fanatic who preaches sexist and homophobic views is considered just what the sport needs. It's hard to imagine marketers in any other sport sitting around in a brainstorming session thinking of ways to improve their profile wishing for an athlete of Fury's ilk -- "you know what we really need? A disgusting bigot who expresses ignorant and dangerous views on everything from homosexuality, to immigration, abortion, domestic violence and the role of women".

The willingness of many fans to overlook and even excuse Fury's behaviour shows talent-worshipping is rife in sport. In what other part of society would such outlandish and dangerous statements be greeted by "oh, that jolly japester"?

Fury is even up for the BBC's Sport's Personality of the Year award, despite the best efforts of, at last count, 70,000 people who have signed a petition to remove him from the race in light of some of his recent comments regarding women, which don't bear repeating.

In the large, overflowing file of outlandish claims Fury has made, this week's assertion he is not a good role model for children is perhaps one thing I can agree with him on.

As a role model Fury is everything the rest of us should strive not to be.

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