TYSON FURY’S rematch with Deontay Wilder is set to be postponed until October – all-but-ending Anthony Joshua’s hopes of an undisputed world title clash in 2020.
AJ wanted to fight WBC champion Fury before the end of the year in an all-British unification showdown.
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The Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder trilogy fight looks set to be postponed until October due to the coronavirus pandemicCredit: USA TODAY Sports
That news is a huge blow to Anthony Joshua’s hopes of landing a unification shot with his fellow Brit before the end of 2020Credit: PA:Press Association
But the Gypsy King is contractually obliged to take on Wilder again in a trilogy clash following his victory over the American last month.
However, the coronavirus outbreak has delayed plans for that fight in Las Vegas this summer.
Sin City’s casinos are shut and with flights from Europe to the US suspended in a bid to try and slow the spread of Covid-19, Top Rank chief Bob Arum says there is no chance of Fury-Wilder III taking place at the MGM Grand in July as planned.
Arum, Fury’s co-promoter with Frank Warren, told ESPN: “Clearly not, we don’t even know if the MGM will be open by then.
“You could not guarantee the fighters that the event would take place on that date. We couldn’t convince them or ourselves.
“Where were they going to train for it? It just made no sense. You just have to take a step back.
“How are you going to sell tickets? It’s absolutely ridiculous to say the fight is on when the Brits can’t even get there.”
He continued: “So everybody has to take a step back. Boxing is not isolated. It’s part of what’s happening in the world.
“So possibly the fight will be in early October.”
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, promoter for WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO title holder Joshua, had been remaining hopeful he could fit in the Fury battle before 2021 following AJ’s defence against Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20.
And he suggested to Sky Sports last week that the undisputed heavyweight blockbuster could now take priority over the IBF mandatory defence against Pulev.
He said: “Well I think, all of a sudden, does the Joshua-Fury fight start taking priority, maybe over a Pulev fight, if the Pulev fight extends beyond the summer? There’s so much that could happen right now.
“I mean anything is possible, but contractually Deontay Wilder is going to want his fight next, whether that’s in July or whether there’s a force majeure that takes that to October, November wherever.”
A further obstacle to Joshua versus Fury could be fellow Englishman Dillian Whyte.
The 31-year-old Body Snatcher is the mandatory challenger for Fury’s WBC belt.
The governing body had told him he would receive his title fight by February 2021.
And that could cause a further delay to the prospect of the mouth-watering unification war.
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Tyson Fury’s kids gatecrash his Instagram live workout as they cry and dance in background of living room
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
