Tyson Fury has announced he has voluntarily vacated his WBO and WBA world titles with immediate effect to fully focus on his medical treatment and recovery.The troubled boxer recently withdrew from a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko for the second time after being declared ‘medically unfit’ and courted more controversy a fortnight ago after it was reported he had tested positive for cocaine.
The announcement of Fury’s vacation is likely to expedite confirmation of a fight between Klitschko and Anthony Joshua for the newly-vacant titles. Promoter Eddie Hearn has previously said a Joshua-Klitschko fight would only become a real possibility if there is another belt on the line.
The British Boxing Board of Control were set to discuss removing Fury’s license on Wednesday, which would have seen him stripped of the belts, but the boxer has beaten them to the punch by vacating them voluntarily.The 28-year-old said in a statement: ‘I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost in the ring, but I’m unable to defend at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured world titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer.’
