GIVE US SUPER FIGHTS
WBC chief urges big three to put fans before TV deals
THE prospect of Tyson Fury’s rematch with Deontay Wilder still happening has been revived by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, who insists they and Anthony Joshua have a moral duty to come to terms to find the undisputed heavyweight champion.
High expectations of Fury reprising his epic draw with Wilder and the winner fighting Joshua receded as Fury announced his £80million US television deal to box on ESPN under the promotion of Frank Warren and his American partner Bob Arum.
With the three giants of the heavyweight division now linked to different TV networks on both sides of the Atlantic, the May 18 date for Fury to challenge again for Wilder’s WBC title remains unconfirmed.
But Sulaiman said: ‘These important fights which the public are demanding must take place. The priority for the WBC is boxing and the fans, over television rivalry.’ He even went so far as to call the promoters to account. ‘It is their responsibility to make the necessary deals,’ he said. ‘Anyone who prevents these matches being made will have to live with the consequences of depriving the sport and the people.
‘We are entering a different era with ESPN and DAZN bringing a change in broadcasting platforms. Hopefully the internet will put an end to the way in which so many big fights have failed to happen in the past, to the detriment of boxing.
‘Given the huge public interest following the first fight for our heavyweight belt between Wilder and Fury, we mandated the rematch and extended the time for the parties to negotiate before going to purse bids.
‘After being told on Friday about Tyson Fury’s contract with ESPN, I have spoken with both parties about the rematch.
‘The WBC will examine what steps we can take to help the fight go ahead.’
Sulaiman hopes, also, for the winner to fight WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Joshua to find the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
The timescale may be delayed, even though Wilder is indicating he is not personally contracted to the Showtime cable network in America and may be able to fight Fury on ESPN there as well as BT Sport in the UK. Wilder refers to the proposed date, saying: ‘I will still be ready for Fury on May 18.’
That is more likely to be put back to September, with Arum preferring both men to have warm-up fights there in May to ‘build up even higher audience interest in America’.
Joshua against the Wilder-Fury winner would be a more complicated transaction. Joshua, who defends his belts against Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1, is contracted to Sky in Britain and DAZN in America.
But Sulaiman says: ‘It will be a pity if the interested parties do not find a way to come together.’