Bob Arum says Deontay Wilder’s team have officially exercised rematch clause for Tyson Fury trilogy in July

By Boxing News - 02/29/2020 - Comments

By Charles Brun: Tyson Fury’s promoter Bob Arum says Deontay Wilder’s team has officially exercised the rematch clause for a rematch for a trilogy fight that he says will happen by “mid-July.” Arum maintains that if Fury wins the third fight with Wilder and if Anthony Joshua defeats Kubrat Pulev on June 13, then he would welcome a unification fight between Fury and Joshua at the year for December.

Arum states that he Pulev (28-1, 15 KOs) will knockout IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Joshua on June 13, and then it’ll be HIM that faces Fury in December. The Joshua-Pulev fight will be taking place in London, England at the Spurs Stadium in Tottenham.

Team Wilder have officially exercised the rematch clause

Wider and his representatives formerly notified us last night that they’ve accepted the rematch. It’ll happen in July. It’ll happen in the middle of July,” said Arum to Ringside Reporter Live. “I told Eddie Hearn, ‘Stop looking at a Tyson Fury fight this year. You’ve got to fight Pulev in June, and Joshua is going to get knocked on his a–. I guarantee you that Pulev will knockout Joshua like Tyson Fury knocked out,'” said Arum.

It’s no shock that former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) has triggered his rematch clause for the third fight with Fury. Deontay already said that he would exercise his contract right for the rematch the day after he suffered his 7th round knockout defeat last Saturday night on February 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Further, last Friday, Wilder gave a statement in which he informed the boxing public that he’ll trigger the rematch clause for the third fight with Fury. Wilder vowed to regain his WBC title and said it’ll be “WAR” when he faces Fury again.

Arum wants Fury vs. Pulev at the end of the year

“Yes, I will look to make a Pulev-Fury fight to unify all the belts by the end of the year, but Mr. Hearn will have nothing to do with it,” said Fury’s promoter Arum. “Sure, absolutely, to have a heavyweight champion that holds all the belts,” said Arum when asked if the goal is to have Fury unify the division.

“It’s good for boxing. And if Joshua beats Pulev and Fury beats Wilder, then why not do a Joshua-Fury fight at the end of the year. And we would then sit with Eddie and work it out. These fights have to play out first.

“It’ll be on June 13th at Tottenham Spur’s in London,” said Arum when asked when the Joshua vs. Pulev fight will take place.

For the record, Pulev has backed his way into becoming Joshua’s IBF mandatory challenger by defeating Hughie Fury, the cousin of Tyson. Hughie is a decent fighter, but not in the talent class as a number of other heavyweights in the division.

Pulev is going to have massive problems with Joshua’s speed, power, and overall boxing skills. The Bulgarian fighter isn’t expected to be competitive with Joshua, let alone defeat him. Arum can’t be blamed for pumping up Pulev’s chances by saying he’s going to beat Joshua, but that’s unlikely to happen unless AJ’s chin betrays him again.