Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury traveled to Wladimir Klitschko's adopted home country of Germany and dethroned the long-reigning champion on Nov. 28 in one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history.
When they meet in a rematch on July 9 (HBO in the United States, BoxNation in the United Kingdom), it will take place at Manchester Arena in Fury's hometown of Manchester, England, the promoters announced on Wednesday.
"It wasn't very important for the fight to be in Manchester, but it was very important that I wasn't going back to Germany,'' Fury said. "I wouldn't go back. End of [discussion]. I wouldn't get a decision. It's in England. Wherever it was [in England], I wasn't bothered.''
Fury won a unanimous decision to take Klitschko's various title belts and the lineal championship in Dusseldorf, Germany, ending Klitschko's 11-year unbeaten run and his historic 9-year title reign during which he made 18 successful defenses, third-most in heavyweight history.
Klitschko, who turned 40 in March, then exercised his right to an immediate rematch, and the camps have spent weeks trying to match dates with sites and the schedules of their broadcast partners.
"I'm thrilled to get this fight on July 9 at the Manchester Arena. I'm the best heavyweight in the world, and the rest are imposters to my titles," Fury said. "I am coming for all of them once I've dealt with Klitschko a second time.
"The only man that could beat Klitschko is me. What I've got can't be taught. You've either got it or you haven't. How you beat robots is to do unorthodox things. I'm expecting a totally different fight [in the rematch]. He's going to have to come over here and fight this time. It's going to be a slugfest."
Said Klitschko: "Boxing fans worldwide will watch this international mega-event, and I'm looking forward to coming out victorious against Tyson Fury and regaining my heavyweight titles."
Shortly after Fury (25-0, 18 KOs), 27, defeated Ukraine's Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs), he was stripped of one of his title belts because he was bound to a contractual rematch with Klitschko and declined a mandatory defense against Vyacheslav "Czar" Glazkov for what would have been a fraction of the money he will make to face Klitschko again. Glazkov wound up facing Charles Martin for the vacant title in January. Martin won the belt by third-round knockout when Glazkov suffered a knee injury. But Martin lost the title in his first defense when Anthony Joshua, Fury's countryman, knocked him out in the second round this past Saturday in London.
Fury said he will look to face Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs), the 2012 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist, after he takes care of Klitschko for a second time.
"I thought he looked like a pumped-up weightlifter, out of his mind on drugs [against Martin],'' Fury said. "He fought an American who came to lay down and had as much fight in him as that glass of water right there. Zero. The fight I have to worry about is Wlad because he is 10 times the man of any of them world champions.''
The first Fury-Klitschko fight was devoid of action, with neither fighter throwing or landing many punches, but Fury did a bit more and was rewarded with the decision. He said his only motivation for the rematch is money.
"I've already beaten the best man there is and was. I have no motivation,'' he said. "Whoever they put in front of me I'll fight, but they've got nothing that I want ... only money. If he doesn't do something different, he is on for another hiding. He has to come and try and fight. He couldn't fight me first time with his A-game, so he won't on his second.''
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.