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Tyson Fury’s plan is to convince Deontay Wilder to step aside from their trilogy fight and take on Anthony Joshua next in a unification showdown this year, according to Metro.co.uk sources. Wilder has exercised his right to an immediate rematch with Fury after their epic encounter in Las Vegas last February. The Gypsy King became a two-time world heavyweight champion by beating Wilder in seven rounds and became the WBC, Ring Magazine and lineal belt holder. Fury and Wilder were pencilled in to fight again in July, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced those plans to be postponed.
The new date being looked at is October and at the moment both Fury and IBF, WBO and WBA (Super) champion Joshua are contractually tied into their next fights. However, Metro.co.uk understands Fury’s team, which includes Frank Warren and American promoter Bob Arum, are plotting to release their heavyweight from his obligation to fight Wilder again. Team Fury want to go straight into a unification clash with Joshua once the coronavirus lockdown is over and are hopeful that fight can take place in 2020. Joshua is locked in to fight his IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev in June at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but that fight is now likely to be postponed due to the public health crisis
Arum also promotes Pulev, making the possibility of convincing the Bulgarian to step aside more likely. Reacting to the news the trilogy fight with Wilder this summer had been postponed, Fury said this week: ‘I’ll be obliged to give him a bit more. You never get bored of beating Deontay Wilder, obviously.’ He added: ‘I’m looking forward to getting this coronavirus out of the way, getting the world back on track and getting back to my job.’ Joshua and Fury will need to offer Wilder a significant sum to convince the American to relinquish his opportunity to reclaim the WBC belt.
Team Fury are also wary of that figure increasing with each passing week and released a statement shooting dead claims a fight with Joshua was in the works. In an official statement, MTK Global, Top Rank and Queensberry Promotions said: ‘Tyson Fury is the globally recognised number one heavyweight in the world and the current Lineal, WBC and Ring Magazine champion. ‘Tyson is contracted to a third fight with former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder. ‘Any statement made regarding negotiations, talks, venues or any other bout should be disregarded.
‘Any updates regarding future fights will only be made through official channels, and we will continue to deliver boxing fans the biggest and best fights involving the Gypsy King.’ No official talks between all parties have taken place, but the preference of Team Fury is to go straight into the Joshua fight. There is optimism that Wilder can be persuaded to accept a step-aside offer and that he is not 100 per cent fixed on fighting Fury next.
Wilder’s team can use their rematch clause as leverage, but as of now Fury is contractually obliged to fight the American in his next bout, as is Joshua with Pulev. Speaking publicly about Fury’s next appearance in the ring, Arum refused to rule out the possibility that Joshua would be his fighter’s next opponent. ‘All I’m saying is contracts are contracts, and Wilder has the option for the third fight and he’s exercised that option,’ Arum told the Telegraph. ‘Therefore, while everything is possible, the one thing is not possible is to violate a contractual commitment. ‘I would say right now there is no chance that Fury would fight anybody other than Wilder next. But, things change. Down the line, who knows? ‘But right now the answer is no. The answer is Joshua has an obligation to fight Kubrat Pulev.’
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/01/tyson...9/?ito=cbshare
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