Viddal Riley has condemned talks for Tommy Fury to take part in a potential boxing event with faded legend Roy Jones.
Riley has previously been linked to fighting Fury himself, but he went on to win the English cruiserweight championship and is now gunning for the British title.
His message to Fury: “Leave the OAPs alone. Leave the elderly alone.”
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Adam Azim, Ben Whittaker, Riley and Caroline Dubois call out their next opponents on The Gloves Are Off: The Takeover
Riley explained: “Roy Jones is my favourite fighter as well, of all time. So to see him at the age of 54, going to fight a 24-year-old, it’s not what I want to see.
“It’s kind of where the game is at right now. We’re in that difficult space where people are trying to make eye-catching things happen. Maybe a bit of, I’d say, decorum and decency from the youngsters is being removed. I wouldn’t take that opportunity.
“I wouldn’t want to feel like I’m attacking a guy who’s on his way to 60 years old.”
Riley in contrast is targeting British champion Isaac Chamberlain. That’s the fight he would like next.
“It looks like he has been ordered by the EBU to fight for the European title,” the Londoner however noted. “I don’t think [his fight with Chamberlain] is going to be immediate. But that’s fine.
“Not the right decision for me but he’s not in the business to make the right decision for me. So I understand it.
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Riley was over the moon following his dominant win over Nathan Quarless to become the new English cruiserweight champion
“I don’t expect him to bite at my request if he has a bigger opportunity but it’s my job to keep winning, winning in style, showing people that I’m above the English title level and then seek the British title.”
Even if it’s not immediate, Chamberlain is still a fight that Riley wants. “He’s British and Commonwealth champion. If he picks up the European title and there’s still a way of making that fight happen, I don’t mind picking up three in one night,” he said.
“A lot of people have to go on a quest to get them individually. If he has them all and I can take them all, that sounds very convenient for me. But we’ll see.”
Riley has won the English cruiserweight title, and wants the British next
If Chamberlain was to vacate the British title, Riley would welcome a fight with Tokyo Olympian Cheavon Clarke for the championship.
“A great fight. Someone that I respect a lot, we’ve done rounds in the gym together, I’ve seen him over the years in the ABAs. It would be a good fight with Chev,” the English titlist said. “He’s a good guy.
“He’s going to give it everything and I’m going to give it everything. People will be in for a treat if it was me and Chev for the British.
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Riley dominated Quarless to become the new English cruiserweight champion at York Hall
“If I don’t get the Chamberlain fight then the fight with Chev would be a nice second option for the British because he’s a quality fighter. People are following him and know of him and he’s winning impressively.
“So it would be great to see both of us, undefeated, putting that on the line for the British title. Makes it a big British title fight.”
However it comes, winning that championship is Riley’s goal for next year.
“I said I wanted a title before the end of 2023, I managed to achieve that in September and by the end of 2024 I’d like to be British champion and hopefully something else too,” he said.
“I’m going to talk how I need to talk, win how I need to win to get that British title.”