Viddal Riley is targeting a big finish to 2023, with the English and British cruiserweight titles in sight but also a huge domestic clash with Tommy Fury.
Undefeated rising star Riley left no room for ambiguity when discussing his rivalry with Tommy Fury, emphasizing Fury's apparent reluctance to step into the ring with him.
Riley shed light on the underlying factors that he believes have deterred Fury from accepting the challenge.
"I think it's clear that he doesn't want to fight," Riley told Sky Sports.
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"He's afraid of me because I'm way better than him. He's looking for easier opponents with more money and attention. Just say clearly that you don't want to fight me."
According to Riley, Fury is well aware of his level of skill and thinks the potential repercussions of facing him would not be worth the financial gain.
"No matter how much he gets paid, he's going to have to pay in pain," Riley said.
"The consequences and the reputation that would follow a loss to me are not worth the money."
In his recent performance Riley emerged triumphant over Anees Taj in their rematch on the undercard of Frazer Clarke's heavyweight clash with Mariusz Wach at York Hall, putting an end to their lingering rivalry.
Riley expressed relief that the score there has finally been settled after their first fight ended when Taj had been stopped on a bad cut.
Riley said: "I'm glad it's been put to bed. It dragged on longer than it should have. I think it was the right thing to do, you know, people making noise and I shut it down."
He denied that he hit Taj below the belt as well. "The replay is there for everyone to see. They weren't low, they were just hurting him. He was trying to find a way to get rest and he thought mid-action he could look to the ref, and I was going to let him do that," Riley said.
"Of course not. I didn't break, I didn't hear stop boxing. You're supposed to be active. So, I let it go, I let the shots go."
Despite Taj's attempts to find respite, Riley unleashed a barrage of powerful blows, forcing a stoppage victory in the fourth round. The win not only solidified Riley's ascent in the boxing scene, but also may have made Fury even more wary of facing him.
He said: "After watching that and seeing what I can do, he will definitely be fearful. I'm not even at my full potential yet."
While Riley maintains his focus on winning titles, he categorizes Fury as more of a "side quest" in his boxing journey.
"My main missions are winning the English title first, then the British title," he explained.
Although he has had a stop-start career so far, Riley is showing unwavering determination to climb the ranks and secure championship belts to demonstrate commitment to his craft and his desire to prove himself against top opposition.
Riley said: "The biggest thing I've learned is not to listen to people. All the smoke, mirrors, and people's opinions change like the weather.
"Just do your thing and enjoy it."