Tyson Fury Slams SPOTY Petitioners, Aims New Dig at Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray

Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has responded to the online petition for his removal from the shortlist for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award by labelling the 60,000 people who've signed it "wankers" and telling his critics to "suck my b---s."

In an interview with Kugan Cassius of iFL TV on YouTube, per the Press Association (h/t the Daily Mail), the 27-year-old also took aim at Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and tennis star Andy Murray, saying:

"What personality does it take to drive a car around a track 100 times? Or hit a ball back and forth?"

Here is the full video (contains NSFW language):

The boxer has come under fire for a series of controversial statements in recent weeks largely related to his views on homosexuality, but he was nevertheless a late addition to the list of SPOTY nominees after winning the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles in a stunning victory over Wladimir Klitschko on November 29.

According to the Daily Mail's Tim Lamden, Fury has also been criticised for his sexist comments regarding women and fellow SPOTY contender Jessica Ennis-Hill, for which he remains unapologetic:

Indeed, Fury has shown little regard for the others on the shortlist and is standing by his controversial statements:

As noted by the Guardian's Sachin Nakrani, the BBC will nevertheless not be removing him from contention for the award.

However, as the award is decided via a public vote, Fury isn't likely to be picking up the prestigious gong on December 20.