• Heavyweight

Fury not dancing to Harrison's tune

Tyson Fury defeated Dereck Chisora in July © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Fuming Fury tells Pajkic to expect 'serious damage'
  
• News: 'Bad experiences' forced Sky to scrap PPV
  
• News: Fury handed world title option
  
• Profile: Audley Harrison

Audley Harrison must prove himself worthy of a shot at Tyson Fury following his woeful display against David Haye, insists Mick Hennessy, Fury's promoter.

The former Olympic heavyweight champion, who has seen his profile boosted as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, is eyeing a return to the ring next year against Fury, who defends his Commonwealth heavyweight title against Canada's Neven Pajkic in Manchester on Saturday.

"I definitely want to give it one more shot at boxing," Harrison said. "I need to go back to training camp and have one more fight and hopefully that guy will be Tyson Fury.

"For me to retire on the David Haye performance, I wouldn't be doing myself justice. I think I can do better than that and I just want to give it one more shot."

The fallout from his defeat to Haye in Manchester 12 months ago, in which Harrison landed a single punch before being stopped in the third round, is the reason that Hennessy believes a potential bout between Fury and the 40-year-old is too big a risk for the unbeaten British champion.

Hennessy has secured coverage of Saturday's fight on Channel 5 and is all too aware of the fragile reputation of the sport in the eyes of the public following a string of underwhelming heavyweight contests.

And with Fury filling the void in British heavyweight boxing interest following Haye's retirement last month, the 23-year-old is not short of potential opponents, with Channel 5 having pencilled a number of dates in its 2012 schedule in the hope of a world title shot.

"Audley doesn't appeal at all," Hennessy said. "We've worked very hard to get terrestrial television involved in boxing again and could do without the risk of Audley turning in another performance as he did against David Haye.

"A lot of fighters in the top ten are calling him out. We are looking at the European title [held by Alexander Dimitrenko, of Germany] as a target."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.