Tyson Fury: Fighting Discrimination – life outside of the Ring.

“You’d expect me to live in a castle, no? I live in a normal house, in a normal location surrounded by normal people.”

Tyson Fury. Reigning WBC world champion, and giant of a man – oozing a swagger and confidence that could only come from what he has achieved.

Despite this, Fury maintains a strong connection to his roots and humility.

After securing his dream win against Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, it was well documented what Fury went through in terms of alcohol and drug abuse, leading to a dramatic increase in weight and serious mental health issues.

He returned after a 28 month break to defeat Sefer Sereri in 2018 and has since fought twice against Deontay Wilder to win the WBC title.

Reclining on a sandstone-coloured sofa, IFL TV spoke to the ever relaxed and welcoming Fury in his seaside home in Morecambe, hardly a boxing hub and not the busy city life many would expect for the 6’9 Mancunian.

“I’ve been here 12 years now; people have seen me. Weekends are slightly more difficult as people like to come to the seaside, and the newbies want pictures, which can be challenging.

“If I want to go to Liverpool or Manchester, it’s an hour away. If I want to go to the Lake District it’s 30 minutes away, and London is two and a half hours direct on the train. I’m a northerner, so I like to stay north.”

Online, Fury is widely known as ‘The Gypsy King’, referring to his upbringing. In April 2016, he said, “I am a Gypsy and that’s it. I will always be a Gypsy, I’ll never change. I will always be fat and white and that’s it. I am the champion, yet I am thought of as a bum.”

In September, there was a ‘travellers lives matter’ protest in Fury’s humble Morecambe, and he stated his full support for the movement.

“I’m one of the all lives matter people – I’m not one of these Black lives matter, Asian lives matter, Chinese lives matter – every life matters. But every other ethnic group have been standing up and being counted for, so I think the travellers need to do the same.

“It’s 2020, and they’re still refusing travellers into pubs, bars and restaurants because they’re a traveller. Do they have a sign on them saying they’re a traveller? Anyone can be a traveller from anywhere. It’s unfair to be discriminated against as a group. I’m of the opinion that if I go into a place and I’m acting rude, I should be barred as an individual, not the whole group of people based on one person’s actions.”

The 1976 act of human rights declared travellers as a race, and Fury maintained that racism towards the people is tolerated across the world.

“I’ve seen it in the UK, America, everywhere. We are just people, like everyone else. It’s almost accepted, and Travellers never stand up for themselves. Not in a fight, because they always do- but when it comes to anything political or legal, they get trodden on, discriminated against, and they never say anything because that’s how it’s always been.

“But it’s time for change, and that change is today. It was refreshing to see the BLM, people standing up for themselves and sticking together, and I think 2020 has been that year for all minorities to stand up, and that is true for travellers.”

Fury believed that these bars and breweries were acting on the instruction of the local authorities, which Lancaster and Morecambe denied. However, Fury was allegedly refused the sale of a car in his local Toyota garage, and entrance to a club, even after his defeating of Wladimir Klitschko.

“Now’s the time to outlaw these mother**ckers. You cannot ban an entire race of people for the actions of some individuals – there’s good and bad in every walk of life. I think that’s a pretty clear message.”

Clear indeed. Fury’s social presence on this issue will keep momentum for the travellers as we seek to combat all forms of racism in society.

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