British boxer Tommy Fury, half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, claimed on Instagram on Tuesday that he had been refused entry to the United States when he was due to hold a conference there. press to present his next scheduled fight in early August.
The 23-year-old, who is due to face actor, Youtuber and MMA boxer Jake Paul on August 6, explained in a video recorded Monday evening that his application to enter the United States had been rejected.
“I just want to come here and set the record straight before someone else tries to. Me and my team arrived this (Monday) morning at Heathrow Airport ready for the press conference, ready to fly. As soon as I entered the airport, I was pulled aside and a US Homeland Security agent told me that my ESTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) had been denied and that I could not go. to go to the United States for a reason that I would apparently know, ”he added.
“I can say here that I did absolutely nothing wrong and I have no idea why I am not allowed to travel to the United States,” he said. .
The bout between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul, originally announced for last December, has already been rescheduled for August at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with Fury scrapping the scheduled date due to a rib injury sustained in training.
Paul reacted on Twitter to his new announcement: “Tommy, no matter how hard you try to get out of this fight, I’m going to do everything I can not to let you slip away. »
