Fury has been called out by politically correct critics on social media after singing along to the track "Juicy" by Biggie Smalls while celebrating his 32nd birthday at home with his family earlier this week.

The heavyweight champion then played the song by the late rapper in the background as he publicly sparred on a beach in Morecambe in his home county of Lancashire.

Former cruiserweight champion Cunningham revealed that he received messages asking whether he believed the man he sent to the canvas at Madison Square Garden had sung the inflammatory lyrics because of prejudice.

"People have been asking me, 'What do you think? He's a racist,'" Navy veteran Cunningham told his thousands of followers on Twitter, speaking in a gym.

"There are some words I don't say in public. There are some words I wouldn't use, period. But there's no word anybody can tell me that I can't use.

"This word is in every rap song. He's reciting a song, he's not using it in a derogatory manner."

Some fans mentioned Fury's heavyweight rival, Anthony Joshua, who was accused of encouraging people to boycott shops owned by white people in a speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in June.

"F*cking hell, Tyson Fury is really out here saying the N-word?" asked one.

"But AJ is the problem, yeah? My heavyweight champ would never do that."

Fury had claimed that he would have been "crucified" if he had told people not to "shop in black-owned stores."

Cunningham said that he had spoken with Fury about discrimination during a heart-to-heart at a training camp ahead of his canceled fights against former heavyweight champion David Haye in 2013.

"He told me about his people, gypsies," explained the 44-year-old American.

"That's the word he used.

"He said, 'Us gypsies, we are treated like the black people in America. We're treated like the n*****s of the UK.

"When he said that, it didn't shock me. It just helped me understand it even better. I didn't know anything about travellers, gypsies, any of that."

One viewer warned: "What I’m concerned about is Tyson fury dropping the N-word comfortably in front of children.

"Those kids will think it’s perfectly fine to use the word since daddy can use it."

Another argued that the footage did not "automatically make him racist" but added: "He’s old enough to know not to say it."

Among Fury's defendants, one said: "People are moaning about Tyson Fury saying the n-word while singing 'Juicy'. Where’s the anger and controversy when 20 whites girls are screaming it at a house party?"

Cunningham received praise for his response. that was legit a surprising response. "He should know better but at the end of the day it's a word that has been used so often," said one fan.