Tyson Fury has urged ministers to take action in tackling knife crime after he revealed that his cousin Rico Burton was stabbed to death in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Burton, 31, died after an attack outside a bar in Goose Green, Altrincham, in Greater Manchester at 3am. A 17-year-old man was also attacked and remains in hospital with serious injuries.
Police have launched a murder inquiry into the incident, which occurred just hours after the world heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and remains in custody. A short while later, a 20-year-old man was also arrested and he too remains in custody. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward – including those with phone footage from the night.
In a post on social media on Sunday morning, heavyweight champion Fury wrote: “My cousin was murdered last night, stabbed in the neck. This is becoming ridiculous idiots carry knives. This needs to stop ASAP.
“UK government needs to bring higher sentencing for knife crime, it’s a pandemic and you don’t know how bad it is until it’s one of your own!”
He added: “Life is very precious and it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment. RIP RICO BURTON. May the lord god grant you a good place in heaven. See you soon.”
Fury included an image reading “Stop knife crime” and ended the emotional post with a hashtag saying “only cowards carry weapons”.
Incidents of knife crime rose by 10% to 49,027 offences in England and Wales during the year to March 2022, recent statistics show.
Fury, 34, grew up in Wythenshawe, Manchester, and is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBC title since defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020, and having held the Ring magazine title from 2020 to August 2022.
A Greater Manchester police spokesperson praised people who had given first aid at the scene and confirmed Burton had died in hospital and a 17-year-old boy remains in a “serious but not life-threatening condition”.
Asked if the perpetrators were known to the victims, he said he could not confirm that at this stage.
On whether they are looking for more suspects, he said: “There are a number of people we need to identify and that’s again why I stress that anyone who was out with these groups come forward.”
He added that it is “imperative” for police to “identify” and “eliminate” people from the investigation.
“Everything suggests at this stage that [Burton] was enjoying an evening out with friends, and this has taken place spontaneously and unplanned – it’s a very tragic ending to what should have been a good night out with friends,” he said.
Asked about Fury’s post, he said: “I am aware of the media circulation. I can’t confirm whether there is a connection with the family.”
He added: “It remains a number one priority of ours to remove knives from the street and try to tackle these kinds of incidents.”
