As we await further news on the whole Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder situation, almost everyone is talking about how the obvious thing to happen now that Wilder has won his case in court and a third fight between he and Fury must happen before September 15, is for Wilder to be paid step aside money so that the massive Fury-Joshua fight can go ahead on August 14.
Frank Warren has said “there are only two options” – pay Wilder step aside money or Fury fights Wilder a third time. But how much will Wilder ask for? Will Wilder even agree to take step aside money? One would think an offer of big money, this to do nothing, would be a no-brainer. But Wilder is a little bit different. It could be that Wilder doesn’t care about the money, all he wants is the chance to get revenge over Fury.
Wilder believes he was wronged in the second Fury fight, he believes fully that he was the victim of cheating, and all he can think about is making Fury pay – in the ring, not in financial terms. So what if Wilder stays put, digs his heals in and absolutely refuses step aside money? What would happen then?
But to make things even more confusing, Bob Arum, co-promoter of Fury, has told ESPN that he does not want to pay Wilder step aside cash:
“We’re not paying Wilder to step aside,” Arum said shortly after the judge’s decision in favour of Wilder was reported. “It’s better to get rid of him and go about our business. We can make the Fury-Joshua fight for November or December.”
In addition to this, Fury himself said last year that he would not be willing to pay Wilder step aside money, that he would “rather take his scalp again.”
So what happens if Wilder is either not offered any step aside money, or if Wilder refuses to accept any sum, no matter how large, if a step aside offer is made? It seems that this is where we’re at right now.
Warren is in favour of paying Wilder step aside money, Arum is not. It looks like Wilder will call the shots here. We may yet see Fury-Wilder III.