Fury-Wilder ‘still the biggest fight’
TYSON FURY and Deontay Wilder are already in talks over a rematch of their thrilling heavyweight clash.
Discussions between their teams took place on Tuesday with both men keen to face each other again after Wilder retained his WBC title in a dramatic draw in Los Angeles.
The talks were preliminary but it is understood next spring is the preferred date, with both US and UK venues possible.
The WBC are set to meet in the coming days to discuss their position following the controversial result.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has written to them to request a rematch stating they are unhappy with the judges’ decision.
The Briton’s team are confident the sanctioning body will mandate a rematch, which will mean Wilder will not be allowed to defend the belt against anyone else – ending any hopes of Anthony Joshua facing the American in April. That is not expected to be a problem for Wilder, who insists he is ready to send Fury “back to hell”.
“I’m ready to do it again,” he said. “My main goal is Tyson Fury. I’m looking forward to giving him the rematch as soon as possible. “This is still the biggest fight in the heavyweight division and we’re ready to give the fans what they want. He woke up from hell – I want to put him back there. “Both sides definitely want it to happen and I don’t see why we wouldn’t. It’s a great fight and the build-up has already started – we can’t get away from this fight. “It’s only right for us to go back in and do it again. I don’t want no other fights to happen for him or me before then. I want to give Fury the rematch ASAP.
“It might even be a trilogy if the second fight is as good as the first.”
Barry Hearn, from Joshua’s promoters Matchroom, says the first choice for his man is a clash with Wilder in April.
A Fury-Wilder rematch would scupper those plans but Hearn says they are also in discussions with other fighters, saying: “We are controlling the shots. AJ has a policy of wanting to fight the best but not on silly terms.”
That cut little ice with Warren, who hit out at Joshua’s camp for turning down a £37million offer to face Wilder earlier this year. Warren said: “Hearn is not interested about the fans. That is where they have been from day one. Joshua is a cash cow for them. I don’t know if Joshua wants to fight any
of these guys or not. Joshua is going to fight Dillian Whyte or Oleksandr Usyk. Stop bulls ****** g people.
“Joshua is not the main man in the division. Joshua is a man from the streets who has become a corporate entity. Tyson Fury is the people’s champion. He doesn’t hide behind a corporate veil.”
The referee of last weekend’s fight has revealed he allowed Fury to recover from his finalround knockdown because he was a champion. Jack Reiss said: “I was evaluating these guys throughout. In the 12th round, they’d boxed their hearts out, threw a lot of punches but there wasn’t a lot of heavy damage.
“They both moved into the 12th round tired but not extremely hurt. When Fury got hit and he went down hard, that was an unbelievable knockdown. Two things went through my mind – No1, always count a champion out, and No2, give this guy the benefit of the doubt and let’s see how he still is.
“When I said five his eyes popped open like I startled him. He rolled over and got up and said, ‘I’m OK, Jack!”
Joshua is a corporate entity and Tyson Fury is the people’s champion BRAWLING BRITS: Fury seems set to scupper Joshua’s first choice for his next fight