By Terence Dooley

Former heavyweight world Champion Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) returns to the ring against Sefer Seferi (23-1, 21 early) at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night yet the 29-year-old has claimed that he could have been taking on domestic rival and WBA Super World, IBF World, WBO and IBO holder Anthony Joshua only for promoter Eddie Hearn to pour cold water on the idea of an immediate fight against the man who claimedthe majority of the heavyweight titles during Fury’s time out of the ring.

Speaking to Simon Shaw of The Sun, Fury maintains that Hearn was not keen on an all-British showdown yet did not specify the circumstances behind his claim. 

“I said to Eddie Hearn I would fight Joshua in my comeback, but he said no chance,” he said.  “I said get him in and I'll beat the weightlifter now.  He said no.  Frank Warren picked Seferi because the other ones won't fight me.”

Instead, Warren and Fury could target WBA regular titlist Manuel Charr, who has been invited to Saturday’s fight by Warren so could be ringside for Fury’s return. 

“I'm not bothered which world champion I fight first, get me anybody,” added Fury.  “People keep going on about this regular belt, but when Alexander Povetkin had it, he was Russia's first world heavyweight champion.  When David Haye had it was a world title.

“Everyone since who's had it, it's been a world title.  But since poor old Manuel Charr's had it, it's apparently not.  That is everyone's opinion.  Manuel Charr is a bona fide world heavyweight champion because if he isn't, I'm going to erase Povetkin.  The WBA belt goes back a long way and as far as I'm concerned, the WBA Super title is a paper title made up in 2011 for Wladimir Klitschko.”

First, though, Fury has to put almost three-years of inactivity behind him, not to mention a prolonged period of bad living when his weight soared to around 27 stone.  Now working under new trainer Ben Davison, the former titlist has shed a lot of weight and has vowed to return to the form that saw his depose long-time Champion Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 before seeking a showdown with either Joshua or America’s WBC holder Deontay Wilder.

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