Tyson Fury would rather dump his IBF world heavyweight title belt in the bin than make a first defence against Vyacheslav Glazkov, according to the champion's promoter Mick Hennessy.
Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) shocked the world by taking the WBA, IBF and WBO belts from long-reigning Wladimir Klitschko via a unanimous points decision in Germany last Saturday.
But no sooner than the Briton had won the belts, boxing politics and mandatory defence obligations were threatening his possession of all three belts.
By Tuesday, Hennessy was dismayed to be informed by the IBF world governing body that next week [Dec.11] there will be a purse bid for Fury to defend his belt against Florida-based Ukrainian Glazkov (21-0-1, 13 KOs), the 31-year-old 2008 Olympic bronze medallist.
Hennessy insisted Manchester traveller Fury, 27, had no interest in making a first defence against IBF mandatory challenger Glazkov.
He said their intention was to wait and see if Ukrainian Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs), 39, committed to a rematch, a clause for which was included in the Klitschko-Fury fight contract.
"First I was surprised that the IBF sent us a letter telling us of a 30-day negotiating period and then the next day [Tuesday] they tell us there is no negotiating period and it will go straight to a purse bid," Hennessy told ESPN.
"They shouldn't be doing that and as far as I'm concerned if they want to hustle and bully Tyson into fighting Glazkov, Tyson will end up putting the belt in the bin at a major press conference.
"If they force Tyson to fight Glazkov, it will not happen. Glazkov means nothing, he has zero value.
"The IBF is doing this to Tyson without any consultation for an exception, but he will not be bullied by anyone. He's the linear champion and the rest of it means squat. I won't put a bid in at all -- they know that.
"Glazkov will not get in the way of a rematch with Klitschko, if Wladimir wants a rematch. The rematch clause takes precedence over everything else and that's the biggest fight in the division.
"If the IBF want to put a plastic fight together, make a plastic champion, they can do that, but the belt and fight won't mean much."