By Charles Brun: Tyson Fury says he’s closed the chapter on his rivalry with former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder after beating him twice. He says he agreed to seven dates for their trilogy match, but the fight failed to take place. Fury says the contract is done, and he’s moved on from that match-up.
For the record, the mediator is the one that will decide whether Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) can walk away from his rematch contract with Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs). As far as Fury’s assertion that he beat Wilder twice, he only beat him once in the rematch in 2020.
The first Wilder-Fury fight was scored a 12 round draw, but many boxing fans feel that Wilder should have won because Fury was knocked out in the 12th. It’s disturbing to watch because the referee took a big risk of giving Fury a count while he was down.
Fury says he’s done with Wilder
“As far as I’m concerned, the chapter’s done. I beat him twice, absolutely smashed him to pieces the second time,” said Fury to ESPN.
“I agreed to about seven dates, none materialized, then the contract expired. There’s no fight between me and Wilder,” said Fury.
It’s unclear if Fury agreed to seven dates for a fight against Wilder if he’s saying that. Team Wilder’s management would obviously know what the story is.
The mediator will be the one that will decide whether Fury is done with Wilder. If they decide that he’s got to fight him again, that’s how it will be.
Interestingly, Fury would want to get out of a third fight that would make him more money than he would get fighting anyone other than Joshua.
It doesn’t make sense unless you look it from Fury’s angle, potentially not wanting to face Wilder because of the risk involved in fighting a dangerous puncher like him.
Other than that, it seems bizarre for Fury not to want to fight Wilder again. By Fury not fighting Wilder a third time, he will make less money when he faces other heavyweights not named Joshua.
Tyson doubts Joshua fight happens
“He only fought in December, and December to June is only six months out of the ring,” said Fury about Joshua.
“So he’ll be a full year in front of me in activity, but I’m that much ahead of him in skill than a year of inactivity. It really doesn’t do that much.
“If you’re out regular and match-fit, you should be able to beat people that are inactive. I don’t make excuses.
“Three years out of the ring, I came back and beat Deontay Wilder’s a** [Note: Fury’s 2018 fight with Wilder was a 12 round draw].
“I’m sure I can beat Anthony Joshua with one hand tied behind my back and even being out of the ring for 16 months.
“And I’m ready to go today, tomorrow, next week, three months. I’m always ready to do the distance if needed.
“I’m a realist. If there were going to be an offer, there would be one today, next week, or the day after,” said Fury in doubting that the fight with Joshua is going to happen.
There’s too much money at stake for the Joshua vs. Fury fight not to happen. It’s not easy to negotiate a fight of this magnitude, especially when the promoters at Top Rank and Matchroom are looking to stage it in a foreign country.
That’s a lot of work to put this kind of fight together, and it sounds like Fury is skeptical. If Fury doesn’t want to wait, he can always bail and make a title defense for his WBC belt against the highest-ranked contender.
Wilder is currently ranked #1 with the World Boxing Council, so Fury is right back where he started dealing with Deontay.