SMITH: ‘FURY CAN’T WALK THE WALK’

After the disappointing news today that Tyson Fury has decided to vacate his British and Commonwealth titles rather than face his mandatory challenger David Price, Maloney Promotions caught up with the Liverpudlian's trainer, Franny Smith, to get an inside view from the Price camp:

Give us your thoughts on the news that Tyson Fury has decided to vacate his titles in order to 'move on'?

When Hennessy says he wants to 'move on' I don't know where to because everything's tied up with the Klitschkos. One's fighting Dereck Chisora and the other one's fighting Jean-Marc Mormeck. The European title's getting decided between [Kubrat] Pulev and [Alexander] Dimitrenko. [Alexander] Povetkin's fighting Marco Huck and then possibly Hasim Rahman who's the mandatory. So where's he [Fury] gonna' go? Where's he going to move on to?

So, what do you think are the real reasons that Tyson has vacated?

I think it's possibly to do with the TV companies. I think because Frank [Maloney] was going to put a good bid in for the fight, I don't think Hennessy and Channel 5 could have matched that and obviously Hennessy has got his contract with Channel 5. I suppose he didn't want to lose that [contract] because he knows there was a great chance he'd [Fury] have lost his titles.

It all boils down to, at the end of the day, if they were confident that Fury could win the bout. If they thought he could win the fight he [Hennessy] would have put it on anywhere and he still would have kept his deal with Channel 5, even if he'd had to fight on Sky for one fight. If they were that confident they could beat David Price then they would have taken the fight and still been able to fight on Channel 5 afterwards, but I don't think they were as confident as they were making out. I think all this talk that they made an offer was just trying to save face because they knew deep down they were going to vacate because they didn't want to face Price.

Do you think that David's last performance against John McDermott might have had something to do with it – or even David's last two or three knockout performances?

Yes, I think the last one definitely, because I know John McDermott does a lot of sparring with Tyson Fury and by all accounts, John gives him a terrible time in sparring. So Fury knew, for David Price to go into John McDermott and destroy him like that, he [Fury] knew that he was right up against it because he knows he couldn't do that to John McDermott in 19 rounds! I think the reality of the class difference between Price and Fury became evident to him in that fight.

Tyson has cultivated a 'fighting man' persona - are you surprised he vacated?

I am yes. Given the fact that the fight could have been made in May, it would have given Tyson Fury time to prepare properly and be the best he could possibly be.

So many times he's [Fury] gone to the press and he's called fighters out. He's called David Price out, he's been saying he wanted to knock David out since he turned professional, and he's already suffered a defeat from him in the amateurs you would have thought he'd have jumped at the chance to share a ring with Price, if he was as confident as he's been saying all these years. But, you know, talk is cheap and he's done the talking but he can't walk the walk.

How disappointed is David?

I spoke to him briefly today. It's all been a bit fast moving. He's feeling disappointed. David's had to bite his lip for three years while listening to the rubbish that Fury's been coming out with and to finally get that chance, on the stage that he wanted, to prove his point has now been taken away from him by Fury's refusal to fight. So he's really disappointed because this was the stage that he wanted to prove to everyone who was the best heavyweight in the country.

Frank Maloney has said that David's next fight will be for the vacant British & Commonwealth titles – any thoughts on an opponent?

I think the main contenders would be Sam Sexton, maybe Martin Rogan, fighters like that who've got a bit of profile and are high up the rankings. Personally I wouldn't mind the Martin Rogan fight in the Echo Arena, that would be massive with the connection between Ireland and Liverpool and with all the Irish fans that would come over for that one. Also Sam Sexton has come back from the Chisora defeat and that would be a big fight for the public. They're both fights that David can win.

What's the plan now?

David's quite mentally strong. He doesn't get flustered by too much. He'll just put it at the back of his mind now and move on, and we'll just face the next challenge that comes up. We just take one step at a time; we don't get too far ahead of ourselves. So whoever the Board nominates we'll concentrate one hundred per cent on that person and plan for victory.

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