Fury shows rust in victory, sets up Wilder bout

BELFAST: Tyson Fury set up a world title fight with American WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder with a points victory over Francesco Pianeta in Belfast on Saturday.

On just his second bout since ending a two-anda-half year absence from the ring, former world champion Fury looked understandably rusty in just doing enough to see off journeyman Pianeta.

Fury will need to be far closer to the fighter that once dominated the heavyweight division when facing the undefeated Wilder.

That fight is expected to take place in Las Vegas later in the year with Fury’s promoter Frank Warren confirming the venue and date will be announced next week.

Wilder was ringside in the Northern Irish capital. There was much less to impress Wilder once the action got underway as Fury failed to land a knockout blow.

However, Fury controlled the fight throughout to stretch his own unbeaten professional record to 27-0.

Meanwhile Belfast’s Carl Frampton stopped Luke Jackson in nine rounds on Saturday to secure another shot at the world featherweight title.

Having successfully defended the interim WBO title, Frampton will be confirmed as mandatory challenger to full champion Oscar Valdez but will next fight IBF titlist Josh Warrington, who travelled to Windsor Park to be ringside.

With Jackson increasingly struggling to defend himself and remain on his feet having already been knocked down in the eighth, his corner threw in the towel for referee Terry O’Connor to wave the action over after one minute, 21 seconds of the ninth.