Will the big ‘three-match’ between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder actually go ahead this time, as planned, on October 9? Eddie Hearn for one, is not so sure. In fact Hearn – who said before the scheduled July date for Fury-Wilder III that he was not convinced it would actually happen – claims there is “zero hype” for the third fight, and that the fight, set for Las Vegas, has “sold no tickets.”
If the fight doesn’t happen, Hearn is adamant Fury would have to be “put in recess” as far as being WBC heavyweight champion goes, with Hearn arguing how his fighter, the deserving (and extremely patient) Dillian Whyte should be permitted to fight for the WBC belt.
“Is that fight even happening?” Hearn asked of Fury-Wilder III, as quoted by The Independent. “We are about to announce our next America show for 16 October and that’s only six weeks away and it’s tight but it’s not as big a card as Fury versus Wilder 3 should be. They have sold no tickets and there is absolutely zero hype around the fight. I’m sure, if it happens, people will turn on and watch it but no-one is flying to Vegas. I reckon 75 percent of the people who went to the second fight were Brits who had flown over and normal fans cannot do that now.”
So is Hearn about to be proven correct a second time as far as this third and final fight between Fury and Wilder not taking place as scheduled? It would be a real farce if this is what happened. Fury would almost certainly have to be stripped of his title. But what on earth would Wilder do? All Wilder has thought about – obsessed about – since February of 2020, is getting revenge over Fury. It would be sheer torture for Wilder if he was denied the opportunity.
Hearn says he wants to see the Fury-Wilder winner fight Anthony Joshua, but that the WBC would have to take action if Fury failed to fight Wilder as planned.
“I want [Fury-Wilder] to happen 100 percent,” Hearn said. “I want a winner of that fight finally sorted so we can try again to make AJ’s undisputed fight. But if it doesn’t happen then the WBC have to finally put Fury into recess.”
Agreed. It’s been almost 20 months since either Fury or Wilder last fought. What do you think – will Wilder-Fury III actually go down on October 9, or not?