The trilogy fight between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former title-holder Deontay Wilder is being targeted for December 19 with locations all over the world still under consideration, according to The Gypsy King’s co-promoters Top Rank.
After their pulsating and controversial draw in December 2018, Fury won the rematch in dominant fashion in February, dropping a shellshocked Wilder twice en route to a seventh-round stoppage in Las Vegas.
A third fight was already contracted before Fury’s masterclass though a date and venue has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With a super-fight between Fury and WBA Super, WBO and IBF champion Anthony Joshua being negotiated for 2021 and WBC No.1 Dillian Whyte pushing for his mandatory shot, Fury needs to finish his business with Wilder this year.
“We are focusing on December 19 and are hoping that, by then, we are back to a nearly normal situation,” Top Rank Chief Operating Officer Brad Jacobs told Sky Sports. “That may be a 50 per cent capacity.
“We are looking all over the world, at this point, for the best location for this event. That will be narrowed down and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Jacobs confirmed that no location has been ruled out yet, as boxing and the world come to grips with the ever-changing Coronavirus situation in different territories.
“Not at this point,” he said. “There are many offers from all over the world. It will land where it lands, for whatever reason. At the moment, there is no real progress for any specific location.
“We are looking towards what the next step is [for boxing with a crowd],” continued Jacobs. “A small hall with 1,000 people? A big arena that holds 15,000 but with 3,000 inside? How close can people sit? It is a huge undertaking to reach this next step. We are investigating it actively.”