Tyson Fury has come out to defend former boxer turned security guard Julius Francis who recently went viral after knocking out a punter during a shift at Boxpark Wembley.
“What do you expect? If you keep kicking a dog it’s going to bite you, isn’t it? These guys are doing their job, this guy is probably p***ed off or whatever, he’s attacking, so he’s been chinned. It’s a life lesson. Never go out and be cheeky to big men because you’re probably gonna get chinned.”
Fury is not alone in defending Francis’ actions, the former British champion’s boss, Boxpark CEO Roger Wade sided with Francis as well. In a post on LinkedIn, he wrote: “Woke up to a viral story about one of our security team.
“Julius Francis, is ex UK heavyweight boxing champion, he is one of the nicest people I have ever met and helps train young underprivileged kids boxing in his spare time. My understanding is that Julius and our security team spent 15 minutes stopping this man and his friends from abusing, spitting, and hitting our customers and staff.”
Wade later tweeted an article detailing his response with the caption “#IStandWithJulius”.
Since the video emerged online, the Metropolitan Police, who initially launched an investigation, have confirmed that the case has been dropped.
In a statement, the Met said: “We are aware of footage circulating on social media showing an incident involving security staff and a member of the public outside Boxpark in Wembley. The incident took place shortly after 17.00hrs on Saturday 11 June. Officers were called and attended the venue.
“A group had been ejected and one male customer had become involved in a confrontation with security staff. Officers have spoken to all parties involved and have reviewed relevant CCTV. No further action will be taken in relation to the incident involving the security guard and male customer.”
Francis retired from boxing in 2006 with a record of 23-24-1. During his career, he picked up the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.