Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3, scheduled for Las Vegas on Saturday July 24, has been postponed after Fury and members of his team tested positive for COVID-19.
Rumours began to surface on Thursday that the long-delayed bout would once again need to be rescheduled, and the World Boxing Council confirmed the news on Friday. Mike Coppinger of ESPN reports that October 9 is the new likely landing spot for the heavyweight title matchup – again at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
WBC confirms postponement
The governing body said in a social media post: “Fury vs Wilder III will be postponed. We wish Tyson Fury’s team and him speedy recovery from COVID.”
Fury vs Wilder III will be postponed. We wish Tyson Fury's team and him speedy recovery from COVID. pic.twitter.com/IgDSjBlnka
— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) July 9, 2021
Fury (30-0-1) had been due to put his WBC, Ring magazine and lineal heavyweight titles on the line in his third meeting with Wilder. Their first fight in Los Angeles ended in a controversial draw in December 2018. Fury easily won the rematch via a seventh-round stoppage in Las Vegas in February 2020.
Fury vs Wilder 3 timeline
Neither man has fought since, with multiple dates in 2020 biting the dust before Fury said he was “moving on” to a unification showdown with Anthony Joshua.
But less than 24 hours after Fury had confirmed an August 14 date in Saudi Arabia for that showdown, Wilder (42-1-1) won an arbitration ruling in the United States to force a third fight with Fury.
While the latest postponement is yet another blow for the fighters and boxing fans, in the bigger picture it does not affect much. Joshua (24-1) is set to face Oleksandr Usyk (18-0) in London on September 25 – now likely just two weeks before Fury vs Wilder 3 does go ahead.
If both Fury and Joshua come out victorious (both are clear favourites to win) then the potential for them to meet in late 2021 or more likely in early 2022 would resurface. A $155million (£109million) site fee had been agreed with the Saudis for that August date – making it the richest fight in British boxing history.
