Wladimir Klitschko’s manager says Tyson Fury is
holding the ex-world champion ‘hostage’ in the wake
of the Briton’s latest postponement of their
heavyweight rematch.
“Wladimir is totally disappointed that this bloke has
delayed the fight again. He’s holding him hostage,”
said Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente.
“Wladimir wants to fight, he’s training and in the
meantime it’s already been nearly a year since the
first fight.”
Klitschko is based in Hamburg and his management
has reserved the city’s Barclaycard-Arena for
December 10 in the hope the rematch can still take
place in 2016.
Fury claimed a shock win over Klitschko, the
Ukrainian’s first defeat in a decade, to take the
World Boxing Association, World Boxing
Organisation and International Boxing Federation
belts in a points decision in Duesseldorf last
November.
But the rematch has been blighted by problems.
After agreeing to again fight Klitschko over 12
rounds, Fury was stripped of the IBF title for
failing to face its mandatory challenger.
Then the rematch, set for July 9 in Manchester, was
called off when the British fighter suffered an ankle
injury.
It was then revealed Fury had failed a dope test
and would have a hearing in front of the United
Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) panel — although
England’s High Court ruled that it should be delayed
until November so the bout could go ahead.
And on Friday, Fury’s camp declared the champion
was “medically unfit to fight” in the rescheduled
bout for October 29 at the Manchester Arena.
“I’m very disappointed that Fury has now cancelled
the fight for the second time,” said Klitschko, who
has been training in Kiev.
“I’m in top condition and would like to have
retrieved my world title belt in Manchester.
“Since turning pro in 1996, I have never had to
take such a long break.”
A third date for the rematch has not been set and
Boente says it is now up to the WBA and WBO to
decide what happens next.
“It now lies with the associations to make a decision
regarding the title — but that’s not in our hands,”
said Boente.
“We hope that Wladimir will be able to fight again
soon.”
