It was officially announced on Thursday, by Showtime, that World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will stage his December 1 title defence against lineal champion Tyson Fury at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, it was confirmed Thursday.
The 21,000-capacity arena in downtown Los Angeles has been frequently used as a boxing venue, with fights including Oscar de la Hoya's 2000 battle with Shane Mosley and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis's 2003 scrap with Vitali Klitschko.
Wilder has 39 knockouts in 40 fights and has scored knockouts in each of his previous seven title defenses.
Fury, 30, is the former IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO heavyweight world champion. He remains undefeated in 27 fights.
The outspoken British fighter made his comeback earlier this year after a near two-and-a-half year absence, and immediately set his sights on a showdown with Wilder.
Fury is a huge underdog in the contest.
He was also a huge underdog when he traveled to Germany in 2015, and won a stunning twelve round decision over Wladimir Klitschko to win the heavyweight titles - with Klitschko suffering his first defeat in over a decade.
Fury then had a long battle with his mental health and substance abuse issues, which eventually caused to him losing his heavyweight titles. But now he's back in full force and wants to claim the one heavyweight title that he never owned as a pro.
“People talk about me only having two fights since my layoff, but that doesn’t bother me at all,” Fury said.
“This is the Tyson Fury show. It always has been. This is my era, and I proved that when I beat Klitschko in his own backyard. Is Wilder the biggest puncher I have faced? You don’t know that until you are on the floor. It is all about not getting hit in this fight. Until someone beats me, I am the king of the heavyweight division. Long live the king.”
