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British boxer’s anti-Semitic comments resurface after WBC heavyweight win

“Everyone just do what you can, listen to the government follow everybody like sheep, be brainwashed by all the Zionist, Jewish people,” said Tyson Fury in 2016.

By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

British boxer Tyson Fury reclaimed the heavyweight champion title on Saturday after defeating Deontay Wilder in the seventh round of the WBC Championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

With the attention, comments the boxing champion made in the past have resurfaced. In 2016, Fury was caught making anti-Semitic, homophobic, and sexist comments during an hour-long interview by SportsView London.

“Everyone just do what you can, listen to the government follow everybody like sheep, be brainwashed by all the Zionist, Jewish people who own all the banks, all the papers all the TV stations. Be brainwashed by them all,” Fury said during the interview.

The interview, now removed from YouTube, caused outrage in the Jewish community and sparked an outcry by human rights activists.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) unsuccessfully petitioned the British Boxing Board of Control for Fury to be banned from the sport.

“This is not his first offense, he specializes in outrageous offensive and racist slurs. Behavior like this should prompt his sponsors to withdraw their backing,” CAA spokesman Jonathan Sacerdoti said at the time.

Following the incident, Fury apologized for his offensive remarks

“I apologize to anyone who may have taken offense at any of my comments,” Fury said in a statement. “I said some things which may have hurt some people, which as a Christian man is not something I would ever want to do. Though it is not an excuse, sometimes the heightened media scrutiny has caused me to act out in public.”

“I mean no harm or disrespect to anyone, and I know more is expected of me as an ambassador of British boxing, and I promise in future to hold myself up to the highest possible standard. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am in no way a racist or bigot, and I hope the public accepts this apology,” he added.

According to givemesport.com, Fury has received an invitation to the White House by President Donald Trump and to the Vatican by Pope Francis following his win on Saturday.