Bob Arum is determined to make Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3 in November or December – and the veteran promoter says Macau and Australia are both in the mix to stage the fight.
The bout had been due initially to take place in July but the global COVID-19 pandemic put paid to that, and a rescheduled October date also looks extremely unlikely.
Arum – whose Top Rank promotes Fury along with Frank Warren – now says the back end of the year is when the trilogy will conclude. The 88-year-old Hall Of Famer has consistently said the bout could not take place without a live gate (the Vegas rematch in February pulled in almost $17m through the turnstiles – a record for a heavyweight bout).
Arum on Fury vs Wilder 3 date
He told IFL TV: “It’s too early to do it in October. We talked with the PBC guys – we’ve had a great relationship with them, we are all working together. So we’re looking for November or December. I hope it will either be in the United States – if we can do it with a full stadium which probably won’t be the case.”
While Arum won’t completely rule out the United States as a venue, he does have other intriguing offers on the table.
“But we have it being reviewed in Macau now – the properties in Macau would put up the money to do the fight and the government is considering whether to allow it in November or December with a full audience,” he said.
“And also our friends in Australia are talking about doing that fight over there because they’re convinced that because they’ve handled the coronavirus outbreak so well, that they’ll be up and running with full stadia as early as November or December.
“So that’s what we’re considering, It’s not just the old days where you look around, you get a date, you make a deal and you put a fight on – it’s a little bit more complicated now.
“I’m determined. I told Tyson we’re gonna do that fight November or December, he said he was fine with that. Wilder was fine with that – one way or another I’m gonna get it done.”
When pressed about the Macau option, Arum said again that the only real blocker could be whether a full live stadium would be allowed.
“I don’t know – they’re very interested. I think the only impediment there is will they allow us to do an event filling up the arena. We have all indications that the government in Macau – that is appointed by Beijing – will give us the go-ahead to put it on. And then every one of the properties in Macau have tentatively agreed to put up the money to make it happen.”
Top Rank also promotes Kubrat Pulev, who is lined up for a mandatory challenge to Anthony Joshua’s IBF, WBA and WBO belts. That bout had been slated for June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, until the pandemic struck. Venues such as the Roman amphitheatre in Pula, Croatia have been mooted, and Arum provided an update on the situation.
“Eddie (Hearn) was reluctant to look into Croatia because it doesn’t seem to.be the most appetising place to do the fight. What he told me is if he can’t do it with spectators, he is still willing to do it in the UK and he thinks by September he will be able to do fights in the UK – again like the ones we would be doing here – where you space out people in the big arena.
“Maybe in a Royal Albert Hall which he mentioned to me, and set it up for 2,000 people. Because it would be a premium and an honour to be there, you could charge big ticket prices.”
