Tyson Fury wins ESPY for Best Boxer, Vitali Klitschko receives honor for courage

Tyson Fury wins ESPY for Best Boxer and Vitali Klitschko receives honor for courage at Wednesday’s awards ceremony.

Tyson Fury received more mainstream recognition on Wednesday.

The heavyweight champion from the U.K. received the ESPY for Best Boxer of 2021 at the network’s annual award ceremonies, which were held at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

“The Gypsy King” also won the award last year.

The other nominees for 2021 were Shakur Stevenson, Katie Taylor and Mikaela Mayer.

Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) got up from two knockdowns to stop Deontay Wilder in 11 rounds in their entertaining third fight this past October, his only bout last year.

Also, retired heavyweight champ and Hall of Famer Vitali Klitschko, now the mayor of Kiev, received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his role in defending Ukraine against Russian invaders.

Klitschko last fought in 2012, after which he pursued the office of mayor in part to fight corruption. He and his brother, Wladimir Klitschko, made the decision to stay in Ukraine in spite of the Russian invasion.