EXCLUSIVE
The world's oldest boxer, Steve Ward, has called out John Fury.
The Nottingham puncher, who holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest boxer to compete in a sanctioned bout at 64, claims he is often approached by strangers who insist Fury Sr has been bad-mouthing him behind his back.
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Ward recognises that this could all be lies spread by fans.
However, if that doesn't prove to be the case then the now-67-year-old is willing to come out of retirement to settle the score with Tyson Fury's father.
"I have had people come up to me in Nottingham, Chesterfield, Mansfield. Probably a couple of others," Ward told talkSPORT.com.
"Now if this is all as I say, rubbish talk, c*** talk. Fair enough. But they tell me that, 'John Fury says that he'd beat you, John Fury says you're an old man.'
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"They tell me, 'John Fury says you shouldn't be a world champ', and all this. I'm taking a lot.
"Now, if it is just them who recognise me walking around because people do, they recognise you, then I apologise to John Fury. I'm sorry.
"But if it is him who is saying this, I'd rather not talk about it, and let's get something done about it because I'm not a talker but I am a fighter.
"Either way, it's there. So he will either send me an apology if he hears this, and it's just people coming to me, I don't know him.
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"If it's people just spouting off, fair enough, I apologise for saying what I've just said.
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"But if it is him, don't talk about it. Let's get something on. I'm a fighter, a thoroughbred one."
Ward boxed professionally from 1977 to 1987 before calling time on his career after an industrial accident.
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23 years later he made the most unlikely of comebacks against Gregg Scott-Briggs to win a version of the Midlands Area cruiserweight title.
He first earned the distinction of being the world's oldest boxer in 2011 when he defended the belt against Pete McJob at the age of 55.
However, he was knocked off his perch in 2015 when an older American boxer named Mike Palmer competed in a professional bout.
Ward returned to the ring later that year to regain the record at 59 in a loss to a man 24 years his junior - Jody Meikle.
Six years later Ward bowed out from the sport on a high as he dispatched Adrian Parlogea, 50, inside a round, four days shy of his 65th birthday.
Fury Sr, 59, also boxed as a professional, fighting 18 times (8-4-1) between 1987 and 1995.
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These days he spends most of his time on the other side of the ropes, helping train his sons Tyson, Tommy and Roman.
He has long teased a comeback fight but nothing has come to fruition as of yet.
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