Tyson Fury verdict given by Ricky Hatton after calls for Gyspy King to lose boxing titles

As a result of that decision, some have criticised Fury.

Dave Allen, who is friends with the Gypsy King, slammed the Gypsy King by saying: "I understand why he's doing it but I don't like it.

"And he probably should be stripped of his titles because he's not defended it since Chisora (in December 2022).

"It will be 18 months by the time he boxes again. If he wants to do these exhibitions then go and do them, I'm happy for him, earn your money.

"But if you're not going to defend the belt, give these other fighters a chance that want to fight."

Yet Hatton has now defended the heavyweight champion and says the fight arrangement isn't the boxer's fault.

"You can’t blame Tyson for taking the fight or begrudge him the money that he will make from it," The Hitman told Genting Casino.

"Look at his options. Tyson vs Usyk hasn’t happened. Tyson vs AJ hasn’t happened. Usyk has to fight Dubios as he is the mandatory contender, so that rules out a fight with Fury.

"The fight with Ngannou might be the only fight that is available for him.

"At least there’s quite a good story to the fight, Ngannou is such a big puncher….Usyk isn’t available. AJ isn’t available. Whyte isn’t available. Dubois isn’t available. What can Tyson do?"

Hatton also claims Fury only wants to fight the best in the sport.

"I don’t think anyone can point their finger at Tyson and say that he doesn’t want to fight the best," continued the 44-year-old.

"He’s fought the best and he’s beat the best. I know that he wants the AJ fight, the Usyk fight.

"Those fights aren’t there for him at the moment so what’s the man to do? Although these fights aren’t necessarily good for the sport of boxing, I think this could have been the best move that Tyson could have made."

Hatton would love to see Fury go up against fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.

Yet he's concerned that battle won't ever happen due to the many complexities involved.

"The fact that we’ve been waiting for so long for AJ vs Fury is very, very worrying," he continued.

"You know, Dillian Whyte can knock AJ out. Daniel Dubois can knock Usyk out.

"We’ve been waiting for years for AJ and Fury to find an agreement, come October, all the boxing fans will be sat on the edge of their seats hopeful that the fight can happen between AJ and Fury, but the fact is that if it goes t**s up for AJ or Usyk in the fights they have scheduled, then it won’t happen.

"If Dubois beats Usyk and Dillian beats AJ, then the fight that we’ve been waiting for all these years, still hoping that it could happen, then it will never happen!"

In the eyes of Hatton, Fury may end up being remembered for the fights he hasn't had - rather than the ones he has.

"I think Tyson will be remembered for the fights that he hasn’t had, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be remembered as a great or an all-time great boxer," he continued.

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"The fights that we want haven’t happened over the last few years, but look at his record.

"His fights with Deontay Wilder, his fights with Klitschko. Going into the lion’s den in Germany and becoming the Heavyweight Champion.

"Look at his story – we all know about his problems – he was massively overweight, he was suicidal. He had major problems.

"He overcame those. He had two comeback fights and then went into the ring with one of the biggest punchers in the history of boxing in Deontay Wilder and put in a magical performance.

"Even after that performance, where he was knocked down in the eleventh and we were all worried if he was going to be able to get back up.

"Not only did he get up, he got up started knocking Wilder all over the ring! Then he beat him in the second fight and the third fight."