World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury struck trouble on two fronts on Tuesday, with a police investigation launched into his comments about homosexuality, and reports that he had been stripped of one of his belts for not facing the mandatory challenger.
Greater Manchester Police said they have received a report of a "hate crime" regarding Fury's comments, which were published in a newspaper interview before his victory over Wladimir Klitschko in a heavyweight title fight on November 28.
Fury, who is Catholic, said that among the things that need to happen "before the devil comes home ... is homosexuality being legal in countries".
The Greater Manchester Police said they "take every allegation of hate crime extremely seriously and we will be attending the victim's address to take a statement in due course".
The BBC reported late on Tuesday that the International Boxing Federation has stripped Fury of his title less than two weeks after winning it.
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"It's true he's been stripped of his IBF belt," the BBC quoted IBF championships chairman Lindsey Tucker as saying.
"Our challenger was Vyacheslav Glazkov, but instead Fury's gone and signed a rematch clause with Wladimir Klitschko."
Fury's profile has soared since his shock win over Klitschko to capture the WBA, IBF and WBO belts. Controversial remarks that previously went under the radar are now being seized on and questioned because of the added profile from being heavyweight champion of the world.
Before the Klitschko fight, Fury also criticised abortion, and said doping should be legalised in all sports to make it "fully fair".
He was fined STG3,000 ($A6,250) in 2012 for a rant that included branding two fellow English boxers "gay lovers".
In the past week, he has been quoted as saying Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill "slaps up good" before adding that "a woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back".
Fury's remarks prompted more than 100,000 people to have signed a petition calling for him to be removed from the shortlist for the BBC's sports personality of the year award.
