LONDON – Tyson Fury won the British and European heavyweight titles with a 10th-round retirement of Dereck Chisora at London’s Excel arena.
Manchester’s Fury, who outpointed Chisora in 2011, switched to southpaw in round two and controlled every minute of every round behind his jab.
Londoner Chisora was unable to get inside his rival’s superior reach and make any dents in his defences.
Fury now targets a fight with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko.
“Which other heavyweight in the world can box southpaw against a world-class fighter like Dereck, a fighter who will give any other heavyweight a tough fight?” said Fury.
“I’m very proud of my performance.”
Given a build-up full of ill temper and bluster, the 20,000 sell-out crowd had every reason to expect an exciting encounter.
However, the boxers did not enter the ring until past midnight and the venue was less than half full by the end, with punters needing to catch last trains home.
The opening round was close but the second Fury switched to a southpaw stance in round two, he assumed full control of the fight.
It was more of the same in the third, with Chisora, 30, rumbling forward and Fury picking him off with jabs and little more than flicks with the back of the glove.
Fury, 26, opened up towards the end of the fourth round, battering Chisora’s midriff with right and left uppercuts, and the fifth round was one-way traffic again, ending with Chisora looking somewhat dispirited and with a swollen right eye.
Boos began to ring out midway through the sixth as Fury refused to take undue risks and continued to control proceedings behind his right jab.
Fury’s grip on the fight had become so tight by round seven that he was able to engage in some showboating, and a lack of action in round eight moved referee Marcus McDonnell to bring the two fighters together and say: “Either fight or we go home.”
The irony was that thousands had gone home already.
By round 10, Chisora’s face was busted up and he looked ready to fall, so it was no real surprise when his corner, bowing to the inevitable, pulled him out before the start of the 11th.
Chisora has now lost five of his 25 professional fights, including a world title challenge against Vitali Klitschko in 2012, and it is difficult to see where he goes from here.
Fury, meanwhile, remains undefeated in 23 pro contests and should finally get a world title shot after two or three years of frustration.
Wladimir Klitschko has not been beaten for 10 years and has made 17 defences during his second reign as world champion. His last fight was a fifth-round knockout of Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev earlier this month.
Fury’s promoter, Mick Hennessy, added: “Tyson’s mandatory now for the heavyweight world title.
“Wladimir Klitschko’s being allowed one more fight in March or April, then it’ll be purse bids, then the fight’s on. It’ll be June to September. The big fight is on, and Klitschko has to just take it and not swerve it.” BBC Sport
