AFTER months of negotiations for an undisputed heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury has signed for a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder. The defence of Fury’s WBC belt is likely for Las Vegas at the end of July.
No sooner had Fury declared last week that a fight with Joshua was on … then on Monday an arbitration in the United States ruled that Fury was obligated to complete a third contest with Wilder. Fury had stopped the American when the two fought last year. The Briton also insisted he had no intention of trying to pay Wilder step aside money in order to clear a path for the Joshua fight.
“I just want to fight, no matter if it’s Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, whoever it is, I want to fight. I’m happy that I’m fighting in the home city of the Gypsy King. This is my town, Las Vegas is mine so I’m very, very happy that we’re going to be the first live gate at the big, big stadium,” Fury told ESPN.
“I think he [Wilder] is going to give it a good roll of the dice. This is his last hurrah. I’ve got his heart, his soul, his mojo, every bit of substance of Deontay Wilder, I’ve got it right here in my pocket. I’ve carried it around with me for the last 18 months. This guy is a glutton for punishment. He’s an idiot. He got absolutely dismantled and smashed to bits in our last fight and he wants that all over again.”
“He’s either one of two things, he’s absolutely crazy or he’s a sucker for punishment,” Fury added. “So this time I’m going to real double, double, treble smash him.”
Fury maintains he could still fight Joshua further down the line. “100 percent. AJ’s got a big mouth and no substance. He says I’m the one who does all the talking but if I didn’t talk boxing would be stone dead because I’m the only character alive left in it. Let’s say that for a fact,” Tyson said.
In the interim Joshua will have to meet Oleksandr Usyk to retain the WBO title that Joshua holds along with the IBF and WBA belts. The WBO reportedly have denied Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, an extension to ‘discuss the matter and other related affairs’. It means the two sides will have to reach an agreement by the end of this month or the fight will go to purse bids.
