Tyson Fury insists he is fully focused on his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk just days after he was escorted out of a pub by security.
The 35-year-old is currently recovering after suffering the first defeat of his professional career to Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month.
Fury was convinced he had done enough to win the fight but Usyk, who rocked the Gypsy King in the ninth round with an overhand left which forced referee Mark Nelson to intervene and deliver a standing count, won via split decision.
Fury now has the opportunity to become world champion for a third time in his career with a rematch against Usyk scheduled for December 21.
However, concerns were raised earlier this week after a video surfaced of Fury looking worse for wear outside a pub in his hometown of Morecambe.
Fury was escorted out of the building by two security staff and was seen on his knees on the pavement before he headbutted a lamppost.
‘He had a couple too many and wasn’t feeling too well either,’ a source close to Fury told The Sun newspaper.
However, Fury has moved to play down rumours surrounding his mindset by posting a video of himself hitting a punchbag with inspirational music in the background.
In the video which was posted on Instagram on Thursday, Fury said: ‘Hey guys, Tyson Fury here. Back in the gym as you can see, counting down the days until I can get my redemption on Usyk.
‘December 21st is going to be my time. I’ve done everything in boxing but I ain’t come back from a loss.
‘And I relish it, the chance to come back and redeem myself. Get up. December 21st is all me. Undisputed here we come.’
Speaking this week, boxing pundit Johnny Nelson cast doubt over whether Fury will go ahead with his rematch against Usyk.
‘He’s a man, he’s gone out for a drink. That’s it. There’s no law against getting drunk. He’s not done anything wrong,’ Nelson told Seconds Out.
‘I think for Tyson Fury, the realisation of what’s happened to him, will kick in slowly but surely.
‘It probably buys into all the theories of whether he will box again and where his head’s going to be at for the Usyk rematch. I don’t believe Tyson will fight Oleksandr Usyk next, or again. He could retire because of the manner of the defeat – he’s struggling to deal with it.
‘As long as Usyk’s around, he ain’t gonna box. He can’t get his head around it. I don’t think he’ll go through that again. He can smile and joke but it’s a big deal.’
Meanwhile, talkSPORT host Simon Jordan defended Fury over his night out.
‘I saw the video and obviously Tyson Fury, six foot nine of him, is not going to be easy to miss,’ Jordan said.
‘And so I felt an inherent sense of sadness about it, but at the same time, he is allowed to have a blowout if he wants to, if he wants to behave in that way.
‘He’s a professional athlete, an elite professional athlete, so I’m not entirely sure the two things go hand in hand, but Tyson Fury lives his life in a certain way.
‘I don’t have any anger towards it. I want Tyson Fury to be able to go back into the ring, and because I’m English and British, I want him to be the heavyweight champion of the world, irrespective of my attitude towards some of his behaviour.
‘I’m not interested in that being carried forward. I’m more interested in Tyson Fury being the best version of himself.’
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