Tyson Fury Apologises to WBC for Recent Defamatory Comments

Tyson Fury has backtracked on comments he made about the World Boxing Council's (WBC) treatment of him.

As reported by Jake Donovan of BoxingScene, Fury has released a statement via his press agent, which distanced himself from allegations of mistreatment. He expressed his apology but also his frustration over not having a fight since April due to canceled bouts:

"

The WBC title has meant a lot to me since I was a kid and I always wanted to fight for that green WBC belt and put my name with the greats like Ali, Leonard, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis who have held it.

That passion to hold that belt and the frustration of being forced to be inactive for so long sometimes leads me to say things that I shouldn’t and I would like to take this opportunity to retract those comments I made.

I do not believe that the WBC or any of its members acted improperly in the heavyweight division, but having fought a WBC eliminator (which I know and understand was not a final eliminator), and with the title being vacated, I genuinely believe I am the best heavyweight and deserving of a shot.

"

Christopher Lee/Getty Images

The unbeaten 25-year-old has not fought since last April, when he defeated Steve Cunningham in seven rounds. However, he is on the card for Dereck Chisora's fight against Andriy Rudenko at the Copper Box Arena in London on Feb. 15.

Fury is yet to confirm an opponent for the bout, although it is believed he is keen to match up against Chisora again at some point in the near future.

He has even taken to Twitter to canvass opinion on possible opponents:

"

I've stil no opponent for 15 feb. has any1 got any ideas? I need some good rounds with a tough fighter who will keep me on my toes.??

— Tyson2FASTfury. (@Tyson_Fury) January 16, 2014"

After eight months out in the cold, Fury has come to the realisation that he needs to get back in the ring to keep his profile high and to keep his place in line to earn potential fights.

Having gained a reputation for calling out opponents and making wild claims on Twitter, it is time for Fury to concentrate his efforts on performing in the ring instead of on social media.

As reported by Danny Griffiths of the Metro, Fury claimed he was ready to fight 12 opponents in 2014, one for every calendar month.

But with a lack of serious contenders in the heavyweight division, the Manchester-born fighter has had to quickly reassess that bold claim and take a more mature approach if he is going to be taken seriously and achieve the dreams he talked about in his statement.