FURY: MOVING FIGHT WAS BIG MISTAKE VLAD
Overnight: Pakistan 523-8 dec (Malik 245, Shafiq 107, Hafeez 98; Stokes 4-57). England 56-0
Cook not out ......................................................168 Ali c Ahmed b Khan ......................................... 35 Bell c Hafeez b Riaz ......................................... 63 Wood b Wahab Riaz ............................................4 Root not out ...........................................................3 Extras (b2, lb3, w3, nb9)................................... 17 Total (3 wkts, 110 overs) ............................... 290 Fall of wickets: 1-116, 2-281, 3-285 To Bat: Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Rashid, Broad, Anderson Bowling: Ali 16-1-43-0; Khan 15-3-39-1; Babar 38-15-67-0; Riaz 19-1-79-2; Shafiq 7-0-19-0; Malik 15-2-38-0 TYSON FURY claims Wladimir Klitschko has blown his best chance of victory by postponing their world heavyweight title clash.
The WBA Super, IBF and WBO champ moved their showdown from October 24 to November 28 because of a calf injury and Fury is delighted because he has been laid low by flu.
The unbeaten challenger could not train for 12 days and says he would not have been at his best if the contest had gone ahead on the original date at Dusseldorf’s Esprit Arena.
“The postponement’s not been a major issue for me, the reason being that if the fight had gone ahead, little did he know, he would probably have had a better chance against me because I was just getting over the flu,” said Fury (below).
“I’d had it for two weeks and put on a big front at the press conference. He maybe thoug thought by delaying it a bit bit, he would get in my mind. But what he didn’t know was that I was ‘flued up’ and t that October 24 p probably would have bee been too soon for me. “I was not training, I had to have 12 days off. I was totally bedridden for about seven days, I was totally knackered. I was proper laid-up, I was energyless.
“So he’s benefitted us in our training camp rather than give himself the edge. Now we’re back into the full swing of training and I’ve still got six weeks left.
“He’s done us a massive favour, so thanks very much Klitschko!”
Lee Selby is targeting Leo Santa Cruz after defending his IBF featherweight title in Arizona.
Selby beat Fernando Montiel on a unanimous points decision in the early hours of yesterday and immediately set his sights on the unbeaten Mexican.
“I’d have no problem fighting him at all,” said the Barry bruiser. “I have seen at first hand what he can do. That would be a great fight for me. I only want the big names and Santa Cruz belongs in that category.”
Watch Klitschko v Fury live on Sky Sports Box Office, November 28.