Wladimir Klitschko has accused world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury of throwing boxing into disrepute after the Briton twice called off a fight against the Ukrainian, briefly retired from the sport and admitted to substance abuse.

Fury, WBA and WBO champion, had been due to defend his titles against Klitschko in July but pulled out with an ankle injury.

The fight was then rescheduled for this month but postponed again due to an unspecified medical condition, with Fury making further headlines by admitting he had taken to drinking and cocaine to deal with depression.

“Fury is dragging boxing through the mud,” Klitschko told reporters yesterday.

Klitschko, who lost his titles to Fury in a surprise defeat last year, has been waiting for almost 12 months for a re-match.

“This just shows how unfair Fury is,” Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente added.

“He stalls with Wladimir. He blocks the world title.”

On Monday, Fury announced his retirement from the sport only to abruptly reverse the decision hours later.

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