Deontay Wilder won’t let his contracted trilogy fight with Tyson Fury go lightly. The bout had been beset with problems through scheduling due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and a bicep injury to Wilder before the Fury side pulled out claiming the contract had expired.
Having destroyed Wilder in seven rounds in their February rematch following a contested draw in December 2018, WBC king Fury has since moved on with a defence against German Agit Kabayel (20-0, 13 KOs) set to be announced for London on December 5.
But Team Wilder maintains they still have a binding agreement and will now take Fury to mediation, according to the Bronze Bomber’s co-manager Shelly Finkel.
“In our contract, if there is a dispute it goes to mediation and that’s what’s going to happen,” Finkel told journalist Dan Rafael of Boxingscene.com. “And [then] binding arbitration if mediation is unsuccessful.”
Mediation is set to begin this week, according to Finkel, though Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum, a seasoned lawyer outside of the boxing sphere, was less than impressed by the Wilder position.
“It’s ludicrous but everybody is entitled,” Top Rank chairman Arum told Rafael. “[Donald] Trump is entitled to contest the election. Finkel is entitled to contest the contract. It is what it is.”