WBO number-one ranked Heavyweight Tyson Fury will be back in action on February according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
“It’s great to have my first fight of the year up and announced so now I can go away, have a break over Christmas and then get back in the gym with a goal to aim for,” Fury said. “When I haven’t got a fight lined up, I find it hard to concentrate. I need that focus to aim toward, and at least I know I’m fighting on Feb. 28 and then I’ve got the WBO world title fight next. I’ll have my opponent confirmed shortly, and then I’ll let my trainer and uncle, Peter, get on with setting up the training camp and fight plans.”
“The win against Chisora was very satisfying because I showed that I’m not just a crash, bang, wallop fighter. I can box clever and take someone apart clinically,” Fury said. “I’m now the mandatory challenger to Klitschko, and there’s no way he can dodge me. He can either vacate the title or defend the title against me. Either way I’m going to fight for the world title this summer. Klitschko can have his fight in [April], but then he knows he’s got me next. He’s run from me for the last two years and now knows that I’m reality and I’m next.
“He can be a fighting man and show the world he’s not scared by defending his title against me or prove what I’ve been saying about him for the last few years by vacating the title without fighting me. Ideally, I want to fight the man who is holding the belt, the champion, this so-called great Wladimir Klitschko. I don’t want the vacant belt. I want Klitschko.”
“I emailed Klitschko’s business manager, Bernd Boente, to try and cut through all the tape and make the fight for March, but I’ve not had a response back from them yet,” Warren said. “That’s fine, but they’ll have to sit down and negotiate after Klitschko has had his fight or we can go to purse bids. Either way, Fury’s going to fight for the world title this year.
“We’ll have Tyson’s opponent confirmed shortly, but the main thing is that he keeps busy as he’s only fought twice in a year and a half and this next fight will keep him active before he fights again in the summer. Tyson is the mandatory challenger to Klitschko, and it’s a position we want to preserve. Klitschko is the long reigning champion, the guy who holds [three of the four major] belts, and ideally we want him to defend the title against Tyson.
“Obviously, [titleholder] Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder fight on Jan. 17 and the winner of that could be another potential avenue for Fury, and if an opportunity comes up there, then it will be worth exploring, but it’s Klitschko who we want.”
