If Tyson Fury’s promoters want the all-British heavyweight unification match with Anthony Joshua to continue this year, they will have to pay Deontay Wilder as much as $10 million (about £7 million) to stand aside.
Wilder has long said that he had a deal for a trilogy fight since losing his WBC championship to Fury in Las Vegas 15 months ago and it seems a judge in the United States agrees as per his ruling that Wilder has the right to fight Fury a third time by September 15.
Fury revealed this week that the British pair will fight on August 14 in Saudi Arabia, but he has now been informed that he must first fight Deontay Wilder in a third fight. While the decision would not immediately put a stop to a Fury-Joshua contract, it would necessitate further talks and a sizable payoff to convince Wilder to back down.
Speaking to talkSPORT today (May 18), Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter said: “We are hoping that we can come to some accommodation [with Wilder],” Warren said.
“We have started talks, and hopefully an accommodation will be met with Wilder’s side that will enable Tyson and AJ to get it on. If not, then Tyson will have to fight Wilder. That is the bottom line.
“There has to be some consideration and if we can get to some form of solution and he agrees to it, the benefit to Wilder is if Tyson wins the fight against AJ, then instead of fighting for just the WBC belt he’ll be fighting for four belts.
“It’s a problem and we have to deal with it. If Tyson has to fight Wilder, then that fight [against Joshua] will get delayed. We want it to go on straight away. That is the fight we want to see. That is what we are working hard, and have been working hard, to make happen.”
In December 2018, Fury and Wilder battled to a split decision draw in Los Angeles, before Fury secured their rematch by seventh-round stoppage in February of last year. An injury to Wilder and a lack of available television dates hindered attempts to secure a third fight, causing Fury to withdraw under the basis that any deal had expired.
Fury’s declaration that he would defend his WBC title against Joshua’s WBA, WBO, and IBF titles in the Saudi seemed to bring confirmation one step closer.
However, promoters would have to reconsider the terms of the upcoming contract, with preparations for back-to-back meetings between the British pair looking particularly shaky.
Stay tuned to YEEEAAH! Network for more updates.
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