TYSON FURY’S trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder could take place just one week before Anthony Joshua faces former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury and Joshua looked to be on a collision course to fight each other for all four belts this summer.
A date of August 14 in Saudi Arabia looked set to be announced before disaster struck just a few days ago.
A US judge ruled in favour of Wilder on a contract dispute over whether the American had the right to a third fight with The Gypsy King.
The decision means Fury will now take on Wilder again, 18 months after he stopped him inside seven rounds.
And Joshua looks set for a clash with his WBO mandatory challenger Usyk, with both fights potentially taking place in August.
On Thursday, The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger said: “One date being considered for a trilogy heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder: Aug. 14.
“Bob Arum told @MarkKriegel the other day Top Rank was looking at July 24 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.”
And on Friday, he added: “As I reported yesterday, Aug. 21 and Aug. 28 two dates being explored for a potential Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk fight.”
If Fury and Joshua come through their fights against Wilder and Usyk, The Gypsy King’s promoter Bob Arum has insisted the plan is for the two champions to clash in December.
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And Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said: “AJ wants to fight this summer, Oleksandr Usyk is the mandatory, we have two or three other options as well.
“In an ideal world, if the right deal could be done, to maintain those belts and to keep the Fury fight alive for December, but for the undisputed as well.”
But the bouts in between pose a major threat to a potential all-British undisputed fight.
Wilder had not lost in 43 professional fights before Fury beat him last year, with the only blemish on his record up to that point coming in a draw against the Brit in 2018.
And Olympic gold medallist Usyk still has a perfect record having beaten the likes of Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev, Tony Bellew and Derek Chisora.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
