Fury: Klitschko Will Likely Reject Me, Go For WBC Belt

By Edward Chaykovsky

EBU/British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (23-0, 17KOs) is crossing his fingers, hoping to land a fight with WBO/IBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Fury is set to return on February 28th at the O2 Arena. Klitschko will defend his titles on April 25th from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, likely against Bryant Jennings. Fury in the mandatory challenger to Klitschko's WBO title.

If they both win, Fury anticipates that Klitschko will pass him over in favor of a unification with WBC champion Bermane Stiverne (who Fury is obviously picking to beat Deontay Wilder in January).

“I said I didn’t want to fight for the title unless I was the mandatory. Now all my dreams have come true. I hope it happens (a fight with Klitschko). I hope they don’t vacate the WBO title. Winning a world title is great, but it is who you beat as well. Fighting for the vacant title is not the same. People don’t class you as the proper world champion until you defend it," Fury told the Manchester Evening News.

“I’d like to take it from Klitschko and not fight a step-in opponent for a vacant title. I believe he’s got one or two more fights. I don’t believe he’s going to fight me. He will fight some American and he will probably try to get the unification fight with Bermane Stiverne. He will probably beat Stiverne and then retire as a great, great champion. If he does that, good luck to him. If he doesn’t, I’m here."