Tyson Fury timeline

13 October 2016 10:53

Tyson Fury's career is at a crossroads after he vacated his heavyweight titles and was suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Here is a timeline of the key events in the 28-year-old Tyson Fury's boxing career since he turned professional.

2008: December - Fury, then 20, defeats Hungary's Bela Gyongyosi inside a round on his professional debut. Featuring on the undercard of the memorable Carl Froch v Jean Pascal WBC super-middleweight title fight, it is shown live on ITV.

2009: September - In the first true test of his career, Fury is awarded a controversial points decision over fellow traveller John McDermott, who many observers felt deserved victory. The fight was his eighth as a professional, and was for the English heavyweight title.

2010: June - T he rematch with McDermott came in Fury's 11th professional fight. He sent his rival to the canvas three times before securing a stoppage in the ninth round.

2011: July - Fury's biggest fight so far, against Dereck Chisora, came in his 15th and was live on Channel Five. He comfortably outpointed his domestic rival to inflict his first professional defeat while winning his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. The fight was also his first since his dad John was jailed for gouging a man's eye out.

2012: April - Again on Channel Five, Fury impresses and wins the vacant Irish heavyweight title by stopping the tough Martin Rogan in five rounds. The fight was his first with uncle Peter Fury as his trainer, and marks the start of a period of significant improvement.

October - Amid increasing pressure from Frank Maloney to fight long-term rival David Price, Fury told Channel 5 of Price: "I'm going to do you some serious harm you big, stiff idiot." He then posted a video on Twitter in which he called Tony Bellew Price's "gay lover". The British Boxing Board of Control later fined him £3,000.

2013: April - Fighting for the first time in the US, against the proven Steve Cunningham, Fury was knocked down for only the second time in his career before knocking the American out in the seventh.

July - Agrees a deal to earn the biggest purse of his career, in his biggest fight, against the returning David Haye in September.

September - A week before their scheduled fight, a cut eye forces Haye to withdraw, and reschedule for February. Haye withdrew indefinitely in November after undergoing surgery on his injured right shoulder.

2014: July - Five days before they are scheduled to fight, Dereck Chisora withdraws from a rematch with Fury citing a fractured hand.

November - When the fight with Chisora finally takes place, Fury produces the most convincing performance of his career, forcing his tough rival to withdraw in the 10th round. Victory gives Fury the British and European heavyweight titles, and takes him a step closer to a world-title fight. The fight was also his last before his dad John was released from jail.

2015: November - Secures one of the finest wins of any British fighter in history when he unexpectedly outpoints defending WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf, Germany to win his first world titles. The defeat was Klitschko's first in 11 years.

December - Fury is stripped of his IBF title, less than two weeks after winning it, after agreeing to face Klitschko in a rematch in July 2016 instead of mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov.

2016: June - The world heavyweight champion postpones his rematch with Klitschko after spraining his ankle in training. Shortly afterwards, it is reported he failed a drugs test for the banned substance nandrolone. He denies any allegations of doping and insists he is "baffled" by the reports.

September - Fury again withdraws from his rematch with Klitschko, this time scheduled for October. A statement from his manager claimed he had been declared "medically unfit to fight", while those around him reveal he is suffering with depression. A week earlier, he had missed a press conference to promote the fight amid claims of his car breaking down and phone running out of battery.

September - New reports allege Fury has tested positive for cocaine.

October - Fury takes to Twitter to announce his retirement, before backtracking just three hours later. He also gives an interview to Rolling Stone in which he appears to confirm reports he had tested positive for cocaine by saying he had "done lots" of the substance. He also says "I don't know if I'm going to see the year out."

October - Fury announces he is vacating his WBO and WBA heavyweight titles on October 12, the night before the British Boxing Board of Control suspends his licence pending further investigation into "anti-doping and medical issues".

Source: PA