World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has retained his WBC belt with a 10th round stoppage over journeyman Derek Chisora and wasted no time lining up his next opponent in a threatrical aftermath at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In front of a 60,000 crowd, Fury dominated from the opening bell, but Chisora battled on bravely, repeatedly on the ropes, soaking up the blows from his taller and heavier opponent.
Chisora received treatment in his corner at the end of the seventh round, as his right eye closed up, and the stoppage became merely a matter of time.
Referee Victor Loughlin finally stepped in, waving a halt with 10 seconds remaining in the 10th of the 12 scheduled rounds.
Fury, 34, took his unbeaten professional record to 33 wins and a draw, as his outclassed 38-year-old opponent suffered a fourth defeat in his last five fights and 13th in 46 career bouts.
The 'Gypsy King' also beat Chisora comfortably in their previous encounters in London in 2014 and 2011, and the third encounter was really a filler, before a much bigger potential fight next year.
In stark contrast to his last outing, when he threatened to retire, after dispatching Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April, Fury immediately called out Ukrainian WBA, WBO and IBF titleholder Oleksandr Usyk, sitting ringside.
"Where's Oleksandr Usyk, the rabbit?," Fury roared at the crowd, stepping out of the ring to go face to face with Usyk.
"Hey rabbit, you're next," he screamed. "Me and you... I'm going to write you off.
"I've already done one Ukrainian [Wladimir] Klitschko and I'll do you as well, you ugly little man. Let's get it on."
When Usyk refused to react to Fury's taunts, Brit Joe Joyce - who progressed his own title hopes with victory over Kiwi Joseph Parker in September - stepped in and offered to take on his countryman, if the title unification match could not be made.
Usyk captured his belts off Brit Anthony Joshua in September 2021 and defend them in an August rematch this year.
The war of words was in sharp contrast with Fury's respect for beaten friend Chisora, the pair touching gloves at the end of the eighth, after another bruising round with the challenger again on the ropes and punched at will.
"I needed some rounds," said Fury. "I felt good in there tonight, I was landing my jab and landed some good punches.
"I take nothing away from Del Boy 'War' Chisora. He's an absolute warrior and it's been a privilege to fight him three times.
"We've had three epic fights and what a tough man. I was hitting him with shots there that would knock anybody else spark out and he stood up to every one of them."
Chisora thanked the referee for taking matters into his own hands.
"As a fighter you don't want to stop," he said.
Newshub/Reuters
