BEVERLY HILLS, May 21, (THEWILL) – The arbitration-enforced third heavyweight boxing bout between British boxer Tyson Fury and his American opponent Deontay Wilder, from whom Fury won his World Boxing Council (WBC) belt, has been fixed, according to promoter Bob Arum, and will now take place on Saturday, July 24 in Las Vegas.
The unification bout between Anthony Joshua and Fury, which was supposed to be Fury’s next competitive fight after he won his second meeting against Wilder by technical knockout and several delays on Wilder’s part kept the agreed third fight from happening earlier.
Yet, just as the details for the fight to unite all four heavyweight titles, World Boxing Organisation (WBO), World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles with Joshua and the WBC with Fury, in a bid to know who the undisputed heavyweight champion is, a Monday ruling from an arbitrator set a September 15 deadline for a third Fury and Wilder fight.
Their first fight, a 2018 Staples Center affair, wrapped up in an unsatisfactory draw but Fury emphatically won the rematch with a seventh round TKO. Wilder’s excuse for being knocked out which was to put the blame on the 40-plus pound costume he wore for his entrance which weakened his legs even before the fight started, which only made his defeat more comical.
Yet, it was an admission he made after the loss: “I paid a severe price because my legs were how they were because of my uniform. My uniform was way too heavy. It was 40-plus pounds. We had it on 10 or 15 minutes before we even walked out and then put the helmet on.
“That was extra weight, then the ring walk, then going up the stairs. It was like a real workout for my legs. When I took it off, I knew immediately that game has changed,” said the 35-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who is 42-1-1 for his career with 41 knockouts. His lone loss came via Fury, who at 30-0-1 (21 KOs) is yet to be defeated in the ring.
The American wanted nothing more than triggering a third fight after the February 24 loss and commented, at the time: “We’re definitely going to exercise it. We’re looking forward to it. I’m a warrior and a true champion, and I fight like that every bit of the way. We’re definitely going on with it. That’s for sure. By the summertime.”
When they enter the ring for their July bout, Fury will be putting both the WBC and Ring title up for grabs as Wilder gets his most desired third shot at taking down the Gypsy King. This puts the Joshua-Fury unification bout on ice because any other result from the Fury-Wilder fight that does not end with Fury as winner will have the potential to completely wreck the unification plans.
Joshua understands this better and he posted a message online that makes his thoughts about Fury public: “Tyson Fury, the world now sees you for the fraud you are. You’ve let boxing down! You lied to the fans and led them on. Used my name for clout not a fight. Bring me a championship fighter who can handle their business correctly.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
