Wladimir Klitschko has revealed it is Tyson Fury's undefeated status and not his titles he most wants when they eventually fight.
An ankle injury suffered by WBO and WBA heavyweight champion Fury has forced their July 9 date to be postponed, most likely until October.
He became the first to defeat Klitschko in 11 years in November when winning his IBF, WBO and WBA titles.
Despite that undermining Klitschko's long-term efforts to retain his titles by satisfying the governing bodies' demands for mandatory defences, however, it is Fury and not his once-cherished titles he is most concerned about.
"It's not about the belts," said the 40-year-old. "The belts are secondary. It's a man that put a defeat on your list, so I'm fighting not for the belts, honestly.
"I respect sanctioning bodies and it's frustrating sometimes, you collect the belts for many years, you're making all those negotiations, efforts, energy, because any unification fight is a very complex process.
"You have two sanctioning bodies, two promoters, two fighters with their own ambitions. You go through a lot of processes, financial, emotional, all of this. You collect them through the years and in every fight you put them on the line then, boom, someone else has all the parts.
"I was just laughing about the fact that as soon as the chef leaves the kitchen, the rats are dancing on the table. It's getting a little chaotic but on the other hand it's getting more exciting because we have other champions and people are talking about it, so there's also more energy in it for boxing.
"You keep the titles for all these years and then boom, you lose one time and everything you were doing before is in the hands of another person.
"Belts are secondary, it's about Fury in this case and I am emotional about it, and I love it, I'm excited about it."
Klitschko's professionalism has long been one of his strengths so for him to discuss emotion is out of character.
The final days of his father's life, before he died of cancer, came shortly before and after his impressive defeat of David Haye in 2011 when he performed despite that strain.
Haye had also spent years provoking him, but there is little question his strength of feeling towards Fury is far greater.
"I didn't really get why the IBF did what they did (in stripping Fury of their title) but they have their own thoughts and rules about it," he said.
"Honestly, in this case, with or without the belts the fight is going to be as big with Fury.
"Am I upset about it? I didn't get it, but it is what it is.
"I'm fighting a man that I lost to and I'm totally putting the belts to one side."
Source: PA
