Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3 is set to take place in Las Vegas on Saturday July 24 after the collapse of Fury’s planned showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Fury and Joshua had been expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on August 14 for all of the world heavyweight marbles. But then on Monday, Wilder won an arbitration ruling surrounding his planned 2020 trilogy clash with Fury.
The ruling said Fury must meet him again before September 15 unless the pair can find a suitable extension. That left open the possibility of a step-aside payment to Wilder so Fury vs Joshua could go ahead as planned – but apparently no dice.
No step-aside for Wilder
Wilder’s camp said he would not take step-aside money, Fury (30-0-1) said he would not pay any. So it is now full steam ahead to Fury vs Wilder 3 on July 24.
Per The Athletic, Bob Arum’s Top Rank – which co-promotes Fury along with Frank Warren’s Queensberry – has the option of two Vegas venues. The report says both camps have agreed to terms for the bout – and it is on.
- Allegiant Stadium: 65,000 home of the National Football League’s Las Vegas Raiders.
- T-Mobile Arena: home of the National Hockey League’s Las Vegas Golden Knights
Fury and Wilder (42-1-1) of course have met twice before. The first time was a controversial draw in Los Angeles in December 2018 with Fury twice getting off the canvas. ‘The Gypsy King’ dominated the February 2020 rematch in Las Vegas en route to a seventh-round stoppage.
That was the first defeat of Wilder’s professional career and he produced numerous excuses for it – from the weight of his ring walk costume to Fury’s gloves. He also parted company with trainer Mark Breland after the latter threw in the towel that night.
Why did Fury vs Wilder 3 not happen in 2020?
There were multiple false starts for the trilogy match in 2020. First Wilder underwent bicep surgery, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The final failed bid came when a December 19 date at Allegiant Stadium was scuppered by a heavy U.S. TV schedule due to multiple college football championship games on the same day.
What does this mean for Fury vs Joshua?
Quite simply it means the biggest fight in British boxing history is off for now. Arum has already talked about the possibility of Fury and Joshua meeting in November and December. But first of course both have tricky assignments to negotiate. There are new reasons it may not happen. It also remains to be seen whether the previous site deal and fee ($155million with Saudi Arabia) will still be on the table. For Joshua, this turn of events also means a new opponent in summer – he will likely face Oleksandr Usyk in August.
What will be at stake for Fury vs Wilder 3?
Fury will put his WBC, Ring magazine and lineal world heavyweight titles on the line against former champion Wilder. There is also the carrot of a showdown with the winner of Joshua vs Usyk for the undisputed championship later in the year.
Who is favourite for Fury vs Wilder 3?
Fury was the underdog for his first two meetings with Wilder – not any more. The evidence of that dominant rematch victory means Tyson is a firm favourite to win the trilogy clash. He’s currently trading around the 2/7 mark with Wider 5/2.
Can UK fans travel to Fury vs Wilder 3?
One interesting sub-topic here is whether UK fans will be allowed to travel overseas to watch Fury vs Wilder 3 in person. The restrictions around overseas travel are evolving at pace and could be very different by late July. Advice so far from the UK Government has been that only essential travel to the U.S. can be undertaken.
