Fury heading for America, not Chisora

Tyson Fury’s team is expected to decline Derek Chisora’s invitation to face him and will instead fight twice in America over the coming weeks.

Fury issued a £10,000 challenge in trade paper Boxing News on Friday, offering the financial incentive to any domestic heavyweight who could floor him in sparring. This triggered an immediate response from Chisora who instead offered Fury the opportunity to fight him in a ten-rounder at Wembley Arena on February 13.

Chisora is currently without an opponent after his challenge to British heavyweight champion Danny Williams was aborted last week after Williams withdrew citing a viral infection.

Whilst Chisora’s promoter, Frank Warren, has stated that he is willing to let Fury fight Chisora “with no future options”, there has so far been no response from Fury’s representatives, Hennessy Sports. It seems unlikely then that a meeting between Britain’s unbeaten heavyweight prospects will happen in the immediate future.

“He’d fight this kid (Chisora) tomorrow if he had his way but Tyson is committed to two fights in America,” explained Fury’s trainer Brian Hughes to BoxRec News.

“He was supposed to fight in America last week but he had some trouble sorting his visa out which has delayed things. But Mick Hennessy has lined him up two fights, one in Atlantic City on 27 February and another in Vegas on 12 March (against selected opponents),” Hughes continued.

The experienced Hughes, who recently assumed training responsibilities for Fury alongside Pat Barrett at the Collyhurst and Moston gym in Manchester, put his £10,000 sparring challenge down to “youthful exuberance” and believes the impatient prospect should be brought along slowly.

“He’s improving in the gym but he needs the fights now. He’s eager to take on anyone but we think he needs four or five more fights before he’s ready to be challenging for titles. He’s got loads of time to develop and when he does get to the top we want to make sure he’s good enough to remain there,” reasoned Hughes.

“We’ve been concentrating on improving his balance and defence, principally teaching him to throw short punch combinations inside from a good defensive position. We’ve also been drilling into him not to give punches away because we felt Tyson was taking unnecessary shots which obviously in heavyweight boxing is not a good thing,” said Hughes.

The veteran trainer does believe though that Fury’s eagerly anticipated rematch with John McDermott WILL happen. Fury controversially decisioned McDermott in September and last week the British Boxing Board of Control proposed a rematch between the pair that will double as a vacant English title clash and final eliminator for the British title. Purse bids must be submitted to the Board by next Tuesday (9 February) and the contest must take place before the end of April.

“Tyson wants to wipe the slate clean with McDermott. He fought the wrong fight last time but he’ll win the rematch convincingly,” claimed Hughes.