Wladimir Klitschko’s manager says Tyson Fury is holding the ex-world champion ‘hostage’ in the wake of the Briton’s latest postponement of their heavyweight rematch for the WBO/IBO/WBA world titles.

“Wladimir is totally disappointed that this bloke has delayed the fight again. He’s holding him hostage,” said Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente. “Wladimir wants to fight, he’s training and in the meantime it’s already been nearly a year since the first fight.”

Klitschko is based in Hamburg and his management has reserved the city’s Barclaycard-Arena for December 10 in the hope the rematch can still take place in 2016.

Fury claimed a shock win over Klitschko, the Ukrainian’s first defeat in a decade, to take the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organisation and International Boxing Federation belts in a points decision in Duesseldorf last November. After agreeing to again fight Klitschko over 12 rounds, Fury was stripped of the IBF title for failing to face its mandatory challenger.

But the rematch has been blighted by problems. It was first scheduled in July and pushed back after Fury claimed in an ankle injury.

Reports have suggested the reason for the withdrawal was depression, with Fury's team expected to give a more detailed statement on Tuesday.

Klitschko said on Twitter he was disappointed he would not be able to "retrieve my world championship belts", before posting a video which appeared to question the validity of Fury's reason for missing the fight.

"As you already know, October 29th revenge against Tyson Fury is cancelled due to whatever issue this time Fury has.

"Screw it, I will move forward and keep you posted when, and against whom, my next fight is going to be staged."

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder took it a step further than Klitschko, claiming a lack of discipline from Fury was behind the postponement.

"It's very sad to see a champion unfit to preform due to no self discipline," he wrote on Twitter.