Tyson Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren is increasingly doubtful that the Gypsy King’s trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder will take place this year as the world continues to struggle with the Covid-19 Pandemic.
For a while, Fury-Wilder III has seemed destined to fall on December 19 with socially-distanced fans in attendance at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but earlier this week the WBC heavyweight champion’s US promoter Bob Arum said that date was unlikely due to a congested American football schedule.
Time is running out with Fury eager to fight after winning the WBC crown with a dominant seventh round win over Wilder in February and also eyeing a two-fight series with unified champion Anthony Joshua in 2021. Warren has suggested another opponent may become a viable option in the interim.
“Fury wants to fight for obvious reasons, he’s been training hard as a lot of fighters have. It’s not just about the money with him, it’s about getting back out there. I think it’s getting to him a bit as it is a lot of fighters. It’s well documented the problems he had getting back and boxing has been his saviour,” Warren told BT Sport. “We have got to keep him focused that he can fight, he wants to fight. If we can’t get the Wilder fight, we have got to look at something else, work between us and work with everyone concerned.
“We have to make sure he says focused, because next year if we get the crowds back, there’s some massive fights. We have got to get rid of this Wilder fight, it was supposed to take place in June or July and at the moment it doesn’t look like it will take place this year. Unless Bob Arum pulls a rabbit out the hat and puts it on in the States, but I think he will struggle to do that because they are in the same boat as us with no crowds.
“The last fight got the highest ever grossing fight to take place in Vegas, that is a massive amount of money, $20 million, and that’s not going to be there. So you’ve got to find it so the guys can get the purses they are looking for.”