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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Ben Davies

Tyson Fury left Wladimir Klitschko facing off with poster after "car broke down"

Tyson Fury previously failed to show for a press conference with Wladimir Klitschko - leaving the Ukrainian to face-off with a poster.

Fury will face Dillian Whyte in an upcoming heavyweight title defence on April 23 at Wembley Stadium as he bids to continue his undefeated streak.

The pair were set to come face-to-face for the first time at a press conference to promote the fight, but Whyte failed to attend after being unhappy with his treatment in negotiations for the clash.

Fury criticised his rival - but the world champion his history in that department.

Ahead of his ill-fated rematch with Klitschko in 2016, Fury claimed his "car broke down" as he made his way to the venue.

Klitschko posed with a cut-out fight poster of Fury's head which mirrored the gesture by Fury who squared up to the poster of Whyte.

Wladimir Klitschko faced off with a poster of Tyson Fury ahead of their proposed rematch (X01095)

Fury's promoter Frank Warren explained the reasoning for Fury's absence and claimed the fight would go ahead despite its eventual collapse.

“Tyson’s not here,” said Warren. “His car broke down on the way down, we’ve just found out, so he’s stuck somewhere on the M6. That is a problem for us: apologies to everybody, to (Klitschko’s promotional company) K2 and Wladimir.

“Mr Flint, who is the head of the tribunal, has ruled that the fight will go ahead and the hearing will take place afterwards, so there is no danger of that stopping the fight happening.

“There is no way this fight does not happen unless, God forbid, one of them gets an injury.”

His promoter at the time Mick Hennessy added: "Apologies once again for Tyson not attending. We only spoke to him once; his battery’s gone.

“He’s had problems with traffic, and also the car he was in broke down, so all we can do is get on with it.

"This is the very first press conference Tyson has ever missed, he is normally very early at press conferences and he is normally very entertaining at press conferences. So this is not the norm and we are not making it up.”

Fury had previously dismantled Klitschko in one of the greatest performances from a British boxing star on foreign soil, outboxing the Ukrainian to outpoint the champion.

What did you make of Dillian Whyte's no-show? Let us know in the comments section below

Klitschko was looking to exact revenge in the sequel but the second meeting was ultimately cancelled as Fury struggled with his mental health.

He went on to struggle with drink and drug addiction and ballooned to almost 400lb before making a remarkable return to the ring 2018.

He went on to beat Deontay Wilder to become a two-time heavyweight world champion before successfully defending it in the rivals' trilogy bout last October.

Whyte has been largely silent with the promotion of their fast-approaching heavyweight event after Fury's co-promoter Warren won purse bids with a bumper £31million offer.

Eddie Hearn has since recalled Fury's no-show at the Klitschko press-conference when talking to iFL TV, saying: "Everyone seems to forget that Tyson Fury didn't turn up to the Klitschko press conference. He chose not to turn up, he is still at fault.

"He chose not to turn up to the press conference, it was for a fight and he said 'his car broke down'. What is the difference?

"You don't know what anyone is going through, at the end of the day it is one rule for one and one for another.

"He didn't turn up to the Klitschko press conference, Whyte didn't turn up to the Fury press conference. Let's hope it all gets resolved and the pair get in the ring."

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