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World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury holds suspicions Wladimir Klitschko may have lost the first fight between the two intentionally.

Fury pulled off a momentous shock in November to get the better of the iconic Ukrainian, winning via unanimous decision. They'll square off for a second time in Manchester on July 9 in a contracted rematch.

As Declan Taylor of the Mail on Sunday reported, the Brit thinks he may face a completely different kind of challenge the second time around:

I think he might have lost on purpose in Germany—I have contemplated this as well. What happens if he knew I was contracted in for a rematch and I couldn't fight anybody else? If I retire and don't fight him, he gets the belts back anyway, that's in the contract. If I fight him again and he turns it up and knocks me out in 10 seconds—or whatever—then he has won his belts back to become a three-time heavyweight champion. Not many have done that—only people like Muhammad Ali. He could then still go on and beat Joe Louis' record [of 25 successful defences of the heavyweight title] if he wins it back and wins a few more fights. Happy days. But it would not have been possible unless he had lost our first fight

On the night, it certainly seemed as though Klitschko wasn't at full tilt.

Usually a mechanically accurate puncher, his strong right hand remained cocked when Fury lurched forward. His jab, typically a massive weapon, was barely utilised in the bout, giving his opponent free reign to edge closer.

Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph also suggested Klitschko may have had a rematch on his mind when he took on Fury:

The status of being a three-time world heavyweight champion is something few have achieved in the sport, putting Klitschko alongside names such as Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, three and four-time champions, respectively.

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Joe Louis holds the record for most title defences with 25, while Klitschko is currently on 18.

They're intriguing views from Fury. If they were indeed true, then it'd diminish his own achievements, which have been lauded by so many since.

The Brit was the first man to get the better of the iconic champion in a decade when he beat him in Germany, an adopted home for Klitschko.

Fury revealed on Twitter this week preparations have already got going in earnest for the rematch:

Klitschko may like the sound of being a three-time champion, although to go into a heavyweight bout against an elite fighter with the intention of coasting through is not only unlikely, it's dangerous. If anything, you suspect these claims will be the first of many mind games from the champion in the buildup to what'll be a massive occasion in July.

It'll be a big challenge for Fury, as the pressure will be on him after his performance in Germany to get this one done and pave the way for exciting opportunities to come later in the year. But Klitschko is a savvy fighter, and if he was boxing with a rematch in mind in November, expect him to be ready to win back the belts he cherished for so long this summer.