Tyson Fury vacated his two world heavyweight title belts yesterday and had his boxing licence "suspended pending further investigation" after a meeting of the British Boxing Board of Control stewards. However, the boxer's uncle and trainer, Peter Fury, insisted he had "a massive future" and would be back next year.
Fury is undergoing medical treatment for depression, having admitted to taking cocaine, 10 months after defeating Wladimir Klitschko to win heavyweight boxing's No.1 position.
"Absolutely you will see him in the ring again," Peter Fury said yesterday. "Boxing is his life. It's in his blood. It's in his veins. He doesn't know anything else. He's just frustrated. When you lose interest in everything and you can't see the meaning of anything - clearly you've got a problem.
"He's addressing it now and we spoke for 31/2, four hours yesterday. The treatment he's had already is doing him a lot of good."
A BBBC statement yesterday (Thursday) morning was preceded by a press release from Fury's promoter, Mick Hennessy, on Wednesday night, in which the unbeaten 28-year-old heavyweight officially relinquished the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation heavyweight titles.
The statement said: "The British Boxing Board of Control confirms that Mr Fury's boxer's licence is suspended pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues." The board is investigating allegations of positive random tests for cocaine.
Peter Fury added that "the board needs to understand that he's got a severe depression problem. He's got all of his reports. He's attending the necessary clinics".
He continued: "Once Tyson Fury produces all of his records of what he's been through, the Boxing Board I don't think will have any option but to give him his licence back, because this is a guy that's needing medical treatment.
"Once the powers-that-be say he's fit to box and he's OK there's no reason why he can't be reinstated.
"I think when he does come back he'll be welcomed with open arms. Especially the way he's voluntarily relinquished his belts.
"He is the linear heavyweight champion of the world. He's in the pinnacle of his career. He's only 28. He's got a massive future."
The boxer himself said yesterday that he had vacated the titles to "allow the other contenders to fight for the vacant belts that I proudly won".
He added: "I won the titles in the ring and I believe they should be lost in the ring, but I'm unable to defend at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured world titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now enter another big challenge in my life, which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer."
Meanwhile, Billy Joe Saunders has sustained a muscle injury that will delay his world title defence in Cardiff on Nov 22.
The unbeaten WBO middleweight champion was scheduled to put his gold on the line against Russia's Artur Akavov, but will now fight on Nov 26 in the same city.
British light-middleweight champion Liam Williams, scheduled on the undercard against Ahmet Patterson, also sustained an injury during sparring, but will appear on the rearranged date.