By Jake Donovan
Barring any other unforeseen circumstances, Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury are back on course for their World heavyweight championship grudge match.
The highly anticipated clash of heavyweight titans is on course to take place November 28 at ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldord, Germany. The two were due to meet at the same venue on October 24, only for Klitschko to suffer an untimely calf injury during training camp in Austria.
Klitschko (64-3, 53KOs) was awaiting medical clearance in order to resume training, which he has received and has been communicated to his opponent's camp.
“Great news! Just heard from my team Hennessy Sports and (head trainer and uncle) Peter Fury - Klitschko has had the all clear to box Nov 28 Düsseldorf,” Fury (24-0, 18KOs) announced earlier through his verified social media account. “It’s now down to Sky Sports Boxing let’s get it sorted.”
It appears as if Sky Sports has in fact sorted out any lingering details on its end. The UK-based pay-TV group
reported Friday afternoon on its website
that the fight was back on track for the revised November date.
Sky Sports will air the fight through its Pay-Per-View arm in the United Kingdom, tapping into Fury's rabid fan base. There is concern about market saturation, however; Sky Sports also has October 24 (Kell Brook vs. Diego Chaves) and December 12 (Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte) budgeted for PPV dates. Klitschko-Fury was originally slated to accompany the Brook-Chaves show via split site telecast.
Regardless, Klitschko himself is preparing for a November 28 date.
“My injury will heal quickly enough for me to enter the ring on November 28,” Klitschko said in a statement released through K2 Promotions' press office. “I will promptly continue my training camp preparations and, of course, I am very happy to still be fighting this year, especially for my fans who have already bought their tickets.”
The championship contest will also air live on RTL in Germany and on HBO in the United States. HBO confirmed through its sports media relations department confirmed to BoxingScene.com on Friday that the bout will air during a special Saturday afternoon matinee edition of HBO's
World Championship Boxing
.
The buildup to the event has been nothing short of bizarre.
Usually, nothing less would be expected of any event involving Fury, but he has gone all out for his first title challenge. A pre-fight press conference in London saw the unbeaten 6'9" contender pull up in a Lambourghini, racing into the media session dressed in a Batman costume. At one point , he found time to take down "The Joker", before fleeing the scene and returning dressed as his "normal" self.
The buzz lasted all of one day, as Klitschko suffered a torn tendon in his first day of training after relocating to Austria. The defending heavyweight king from Ukraine has a tradition of beginning camp at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit, then moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida before wrapping up in Austria for fights that take place in Germany (or elsewhere overseas).
Training camp will resume in Austria, this time for roughly seven weeks before heading to Germany for fight week.
Klitschko will attempt the 19th consecutive defense of at least one alphabet title he's held since April '06. His most recent win came in April, outpointing unbeaten Bryant Jennings over 12 rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
A win over Fury will put the long-reigning within one more defense of tying Larry Holmes for second place on the all-time list of most successful heavyweight defenses. He has the chance to tie and pass the legendary Hall of Famer thanks to a five-fight extension with RTL.
As for Fury, it will be his first shot at a world title, but most certainly not the first time he's seen a major event postponed. The unbeaten yet hard-luck giant from England was strung along by an oft-injured David Haye for the better part of a year, only for the clash of British heavyweights to never occur.
His rematch with Dereck Chisora did happen, but came four months after its original target date after Chisora suffered a fractured hand just days before their scheduled clash last January. The two eventually met last November, with Fury scoring a 10th round knockout in perhaps his finest career performance to date.
The win also established the 6'9" contender as mandatory challenger to Klitschko. Efforts to bide his time awaiting his title shot resulted in a stay-busy fight in February, stopping Christian Hammer in eight rounds. From there he waited out Klitschko-Jennings before entering negotiations for his first title fight.
The bout was destined for a purse bid hearing before literally canceled at the last minute. The promoters who flew in from around the world to Panama City, Panama will argue that it was actually called off after the imposed deadline, as word of the two camps reaching a deal came just as purse bids were being collected.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
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