By Allan Fox: Tyson Fury has told his promoter Bob Arum that he will never fight Deontay Wilder again for the things he said about him following his seventh-round TKO defeat in February of last year.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) and Wilder are in a mediation process right now over the controversial rematch the Bronze Bomber is owed.
Fury and Arum both believe the contract has run out, so they no longer owe Wilder the trilogy fight. It’s important that Fury not face Wilder next because he’s got a big-paying fight with Anthony Joshua that he is looking to take in June.
With Wilder’s punching power, he could separate Fury from his senses if he lands one of those big right hands.
We saw what happened to Fury in their first fight in 2018. Wilder knocked Fury down in the 12th, but somehow he could get up after receiving a count while he was seemingly unconscious.
If Fury loses the mediation process, he’s expected to be ordered to fight Wilder. Arum says he’s not sure what Fury will do at that point. Does he abide by the ruling or move on and see what happens legally?
Arum: Fury will NEVER fight Wilder again
“There’s no mediation. I mean, there has been over Christmas, and New Year, there was mediation,” said Bob Arum to Barbershop Conversations about the mediation that is taking place between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
“I don’t know, maybe the mediator will be able to solve the situation, but we got a real problem because Tyson Fury has said to me and the mediator, ‘Not today, not tomorrow, and not ever’ will he ever fight Wilder after what Wilder said to him.
“He [Fury] regards is not only as a slur against him but against the Gypsy nation,” said Arum about Wilder suspecting him of tampering with his gloves.
“When was this conversation? He talked to Weinstein a couple of weeks ago, and me over the weekend within a day or so, a few days,” said Arum in making it known that Fury will never fight Wilder again.
Wilder was unhappy not just because of Fury’s gloves but also because of all the rabbit punches he was hitting him throughout the fight.
Those punches were clear to see. They were landing on the back of Wilder’s head repeatedly, and the referee failed to control that part of the fight.
Fury will have to decide if he’ll abide by the mediator’s ruling
“Why would he have to release the [WBC] belt?” said Arum. “Then he has to decide if he wants to abide by any kind of order,” said Arum when asked what Fury will do if he loses the mediation with Wilder.
“I don’t want to get into any legalities, but the idea of anyone stopping the Fury – Joshua fight, it just can’t happen. The WBC belt isn’t an issue,” said Arum.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens if Fury chooses to ignore the mediator’s ruling if it goes against him.
With the money Fury will make fighting Joshua, he can afford to deal with the fall out of him choosing not to give Wilder a rematch if the mediator rules against him.
Joshua vs. Fury targeted for June says Arum
“It could be in June,” said Arum when the Joshua vs. Fury fight takes place. “We have a location, that’s true.
“We have a location. I’m not going to go into it. As far as the date is concerned, we haven’t zeroed in on the date.
“But it could be as late as June because it could give more time to solve the coronavirus problem.
“By June, most people will be vaccinated. You can have quick tests now. So I’m pretty sure we’d do the fight on pay-per-view in the UK, and pay-per-view in the early evening in the United States,” said Arum.
Arum’s optimism to assume that everyone will be vaccinated by June for whatever country he plans on staging the Joshua vs. Fury fight. I guess it doesn’t matter if the U.S or UK fans are vaccinated by June. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn says the fight will be taking place outside of the country.