Simon Jordan reacts to being banned by Tyson Fury for Francis Ngannou fight
24/10/2023 12:18
Simon Jordan insists he didn't want to watch Tyson Fury’s next fight live after being banned from attending by the WBC heavyweight champion.
The talkSPORT host has been barred from Fury's crossover bout with former UFC titleholder Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Shane Fury, brother of 'The Gyspy King', recently revealed that his family will no longer grant Jordan access due to comments he made following the collapse of Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk in March.
"talkSPORT and Simon Jordan will never have anything to do with Tyson again," Shane told Boxing King Media on Monday.
"The biggest fight in history is coming up and he might have done 100,000 views on some stupidness that he's said. I'm sure he will do something else, but he won't be working with Tyson."
The former Crystal Palace chairman watched a snippet of Shane talking about his ban before responding during a conversation with Spencer Oliver on the talkBOXING podcast.
“It's Fury-Ngannou week and I understand we – talkSPORT en masse – are persona non grata. We are not wanted," Jordan said.
"All of a sudden, we are banned! And I really wanted to go to the Ngannou fight as well.
“I’m disappointed. Shane Fury was saying, 'talKSPORT are going to be banned’. Well, fine, if that's what you want to do. You can ban me from a fight I didn't want to go to.
“I'm sure they'll weaponize it and say, 'We're going to do it when we fight Usyk as well.'
"If you want to turn down one of the biggest broadcasters that is actually pro-boxing, pro-Tyson Fury and has spent the last two or three years with even you [Spencer Oliver] and Johnny Nelson sitting in the studio snivelling about the fact you thought Anthony Joshua would beat Fury."
Jordan admits he was wrong to question Fury's desire to fight Usyk but insists the reaction to his comments has been way too dramatic.
He added: "But he is right to pull me up because I did make one observation they can weaponize. It was, 'I think it would be shameful if he ducks Uysk'.
"I did [use the wrong word] because I know that Tyson Fury – and I've said it subsequently – ain't ducking anybody.
"I do think he's maybe difficult to deal with. I do think he has very definite views on what he's entitled to, and I do think that makes it difficult to make fights sometimes.
“But I don't think he ducks anybody. So, if I've dropped that into a conversation then, 'Okay, you can weaponize that against me'.
"I don't know why in a sport where you guys are so brave and so strong and do things that most people couldn't even contemplate, the moment someone says something you don't like people start crying.
"Hopefully things will change, and everyone can be nice and friendly again."
