According to a news story from Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, the WBC ordered purse bid for the return fight between heavyweight champions – WBC and linear – Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury has been postponed for a week. The request came due to how both sides are currently enjoying good discussions and a deal is close but needs just a little more time to get signed, sealed and delivered.
Shelly Finkel, representing Wilder, told ESPN.com how, in his opinion, a purse bid will not be needed: “We’re in strong negotiations and hopefully we’ll get things done,” he said.
The fight, when it does take place, will likely go ahead on either late April or early May, in Las Vegas or New York.
It is of course a fan-demanded rematch, due to how good the December 1st fight was and due also to the controversial nature of the drawn verdict. But there could possibly be a third fight between Wilder and Fury – maybe even a fourth. Wilder, The Mail reports, has a guarantee for a third fight with Fury, and if the reigning WBC champ loses the second fight, chances are big he would exercise his right to a third fight. And then, as has already been pointed out by fans and other web sites, there could be a fourth go between the two; a deciding encounter. Who knows how his rivalry would end up in such a case – maybe 2-1-1 in favour of Fury? Maybe the same in favour of Wilder!
Obviously this would take up quite a substantial amount of time and, as much as three or four fights between boxer Fury and puncher Wilder, would prove entertaining and fascinating, fans also crave those big Fury-Anthony Joshua and Wilder-Joshua fights. But if “The Bronze Bomber” and “The Gypsy King” do fight three or four times, it would likely be 2020 before their rivalry was settled – and this is to not even mention the WBC mandatory defence or defences Wilder, or Fury, would likely be called upon to make.
This would leave AJ out in the cold. Isn’t it strange how one big heavyweight fight can totally change the landscape of the division?