Deontay Wilder is fully focused on his trilogy fight with Tyson Fury and “wants revenge” in their latest rematch, according to his manager Shelley Finkel.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ (42-1-1) has been strangely silent since suffering the first defeat of his professional career, a devastating seventh-round TKO at the hands of ‘The Gypsy King’ (30-0-1) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in February 2020.
But Finkel, apparently tired of the constant speculation regarding Wilder’s silence and whether the bout will go ahead as planned, has once again rubbished the rumours.
Finkel, speaking to World Boxing News, said “We will be making an announcement in the next two weeks. When we are ready we will let you know. But Deontay is focused on the third fight.
“Most of what is being written now is not worth a response. Deontay wants his revenge in the rematch.”
Fury vs Wilder 3, which had initially been planned for the summer, and then for October, is another high-profile victim of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And it is still causing issues for the promoters trying to finally get the fight on.
Fury’s co-promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, had hoped to stage the bout on Saturday December 19 at the brand-new Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. But that venue now appears to be out of the picture after the Raiders announced it will be closed to fans for the entirety of the 2020 football season.
Arum is still hoping the bout can go ahead in December, COVID permitting, but has already mooted the possibility that it may have to be delayed until February 2021, and may have to take place outside the United States. Asia in this case would appear to be the likely fallback plan.
Any further delays to the bout would likely push back any potential unification match between Fury and Anthony Joshua. While Fury has Wilder in his sights right now, Joshua has a mandatory defence upcoming against IBF top contender Kubrat Pulev. That is currently slated for Saturday December 12 in London.
