Deontay Wilder wants $20million to step aside and allow Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua to happen as planned on August 14, according to ‘The Gypsy King’.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ is the man who now basically gets to decide whether or not the biggest fight in British history will happen any time soon.
Wilder (42-1-1) won an arbitration ruling on Monday which means Fury must give him a third fight before September 15. Unless the pair can come to a resolution or agree an extension.
Wilder asks for huge step-aside fee
Fury of course could pay Wilder to step aside and allow the Joshua fight to go ahead, but Wilder also knows exactly what that is worth to the two British world heavyweight champions. The site fee alone from Saudi Arabia is a reported $155million (£109million).
According to Fury (30-0-1), the American has unsurprisingly asked for an astronomical sum to give up his rights to that immediate chance to regain his WBC, Ring magazine and lineal titles.
Posting on Instagram Stories, Fury said: “What a joke @bronzbomber has become. Asked for $20million to move over #joker. Looks like I have to crack his skull again.”
Fury’s message appears to confirm what all British fight fans had feared since Monday – the showdown with Joshua, for now at least, will not happen.
‘The Gypsy King’s’ co-promoter Bob Arum has already told ESPN there will be no step-aside money for Wilder, and that Fury will indeed fight the most feared puncher in the heavyweight division again. Top Rank has already reserved Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for July 24.
Meanwhile Eddie Hearn said he remained “hopeful” the Fury vs Joshua fight could go ahead. But he is already looking at Plan B, which is a fight for AJ against WBO mandatory Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk confirmed to Furyjoshua.com on Tuesday that he was already in talks with Hearn about making the showdown between the two 2012 Olympic champions.
Fury vs Joshua in late 2021?
Arum has said Fury vs Joshua could now take place in November or December. That of course is assuming both men come through what are extremely tricky assignments.
Fury and Wilder have already met twice, in Los Angeles in December 2018 and in Las Vegas in February 2020.
Fury got off the canvas twice and was still unfortunate not to get the nod in a controversial draw in the first fight. He dominated the rematch from the start to hand Wilder a first professional defeat.
There is still clearly unfinished business for Wilder – he produced a number of wild claims after that defeat and parted company with trainer Mark Breland, furious that Breland had thrown in the towel during Round 7.
