Tyson Fury is planning to donate his £8 million purse from his fight against Deontay Wilder to help the poor, and build homes for the homeless.
The WBC world heavyweight title fight took place last night (December 1), ending in a draw between the two boxers.
Aside from two quick warm-up fights before yesterday’s big match, Fury had been out of the ring for two years, but ring rust didn’t stop him from giving his all.
Fans claim Fury dominated the entire fight, but the scorecards were officially announced as 115-111 Wilder, 114-110 Fury, and 113-113.
The result of the match has been considered to be very controversial, but as both boxers have agreed to a rematch, hopefully we’ll have a clear winner soon.
Speaking during the post-fight press conference, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said:
I thought Tyson won it and won it well, whatever the result of the fight. It was a fight that you’d want to see again, irrespective of whether it was a draw or whoever won the fight.
From my perspective, I’d love to have a rematch and I’d like to see it in the UK. We could fill a football stadium up, maybe Wembley or Arsenal or any one of those big stadiums
Fury has suffered in the past with drink and drug addiction as well as mental health problems, and now he’s keen to use his money from the fight to help others who are struggling.
According to the Mirror, Fury revealed his generous plans before the fight at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, saying:
I’m going to give it to the poor and I’m going to build homes for the homeless. I don’t really have much use for it, I’m not interested in becoming a millionaire or a billionaire.
I’m a boxer not a businessman and I’ll probably go down the same route as every other boxer – skint at the end of it all.
You can’t take it with you so I might as well do something with it and help out people who can’t help themselves.
The British boxer added how his time in LA had made him realise how bad the homeless problem in the area was, consequently encouraging him to do what he can to make a difference.
He continued:
When I go home I’m going to build some homes for the homeless and set up some funds for drug addicts and alcoholics.
I was always going to do it but being here gives me that extra push to go and do it even more. It has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and I’m leaving as a better person.
There are a lot of homeless people on the streets here, more than I’ve ever seen ever in my life. I’m staying in downtown LA but if you go five minutes down the road there’s like – I don’t know – thousands of homeless people.
I’m just an outsider with an opinion but it’s a situation that is happening all over the world, especially in the UK as well.
What an incredible gesture!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.