Tyson Fury: I'm The Real IBF Champion, Not Anthony Joshua

By Edward Chaykovsky

IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury is taking offense to Anthony Joshua (16-0, 16KOs) being called the IBF heavyweight champion.

Fury captured his three belts, along with the IBF title, last December in Dusseldorf, Germany. Fury shocked the entire sport when he boxed his way to a twelve round unanimous decision win over Wladimir Klitschko to capture he heavyweight titles. It was Klitschko's first defeat in over a decade.

They are scheduled to collide in their anticipated rematch on July 9 at the Manchester Arena.

Fury (25-0, 18KOs) was stripped of the IBF title for his failure to make a mandatory title defense against Czar Glazkov. He was unable to go in that direction because a rematch clause with Klitschko (64-4, 53KOs) prevented him from taking any interim fights.

Charles Martin captured the vacant title with a third round stoppage of Glazkov in January. Earlier this month, Martin was unseated in his very first defense of the belt, when he was knocked out in two rounds by Joshua.

In the opinion of Fury, he should still be regarded as the IBF champion because nobody had beaten him for the belt. 

Fury told Sky Sports: "I am an established champion, I am the number one in the division and as far as I am concerned, I've got all the belts I won because I didn't lose them. Did anyone beat me for the IBF? I am still the IBF champion no matter what paper says, I never lost that belt in the ring."

A few weeks ago, Fury promised to recapture the IBF title - but also promised to urinate on the title as a form of revenge against the sanctioning body for removing him from his world title post.