Wladimir Klitschko will take up his option for a rematch against new world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, the Ukrainian has announced.
Klischko was defeated by Fury by a unanimous decision to lose his WBO, IBF and WBA world heavyweight titles in Dusseldorf on Saturday night.
The rematch is expected to take place next summer, with the same ESPIRIT Arena in Dusselford the likely venue.
Klitschko said: "I was really frustrated directly after the fight but after some short nights I now know that I want to show that I am much better than my performance on Saturday. I couldn’t show my full potential at any time. This is what I want to change in the rematch – and I will. Failure is not an option.”
6 ft 9in Fury kept Klitschko at bay in the fight, with the champion unable to unleash his lethal right and reduced to jabbing away with his left whenever he managed to get within striking distance and doing little damage.
Britain's current boxing world champions
Show all 8"I never believed he would do it but he did. I was lacking speed and he was quick. I just could not find the right distance," Klitschko said. "His reach bothered me. I tried it but it just did not happen."
The three judges gave Fury a unanimous points decision after 12 rounds.
"Wladimir deserves a rematch," Vitali Klitschko, also a former heavyweight champion, who was in his brother's corner said on Saturday affter the fight. "It is up to him to decide what he wants to do. He has to analyse things. He will come back stronger after this defeat. He always does."
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