Finchley boxer Dereck Chisora has had to postpone his eagerly-anticipated re-match with Tyson Fury after fracturing his right hand in training.

The 30-year-old had been due to take on Manchester-born Fury (22-0-0) at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester on Saturday evening for the British heavyweight title, EBU heavyweight title and WBO international heavyweight, as well as the right to take on world heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko.

"I can't tell you how disappointed I am to have to pull out of the fight against Fury, but it is on the advice of my specialist that I have to do this," said Chisora.

"I'm sorry for the fans who will get to miss this great fight between me and Tyson this Saturday, but once my hand is healed and I'm given the all-clear to train and punch again, I'll be working on the new date for the fight.

"I was in fantastic shape and had a great training camp, probably the best so far in my career, and was looking forward to getting revenge on Fury, but that will have to wait.

"I'm sorry to have to pull out on Fury, as I know that he had been training hard and it was going to be a great fight between two top athletes and I hope we can get it on again soon."

Fury, 25, was less than pleased with the news and tweeted: “@dellboychisora don't even think of pulling out of this fight b****! Don't do a @mrdavidhaye & be a s***house c***, you'll b a laughing stok [sic]”

 

Promoter Frank Warren added: "Everybody involved in the fight worked hard to get it on and for this to happen on the final week is a big disappointment to everyone.

"There's no way that Dereck could fight with his hand fractured and there's no way I would let him get into the ring and fight with an injury like that.

"Obviously you've got to feel for Tyson who, through no fault of his own, has been hit hard by this postponement after all the training he has put in.

“It's a big heavyweight fight with a lot at stake for both fighters and we're working hard to get a new date confirmed.”

Chisora becomes the second opponent who has pulled out of a fight with Fury in the last 12 months after David Haye postponed and eventually cancelled their bout last year.

Zimbabwe-born Chisora was beaten on points by Fury in 2011 and the two have been trading verbal blows in the build-up to Saturday for months now.

The show in Manchester will still go ahead, with Brit Billy Joe Saunders’ fight against Italian Emanuele Blandamura for the vacant European middleweight title the headline fight.