Title debate after Fury’s new £80m TV contract
THE £80million was an offer too good for Tyson Fury to refuse but it remains to be seen if it comes at the cost of world heavyweight title fights against Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. Violent collisions between these outstanding heavyweights are what the boxing world most wants to see. But Fury’s new multi-fight deal means — at the very least — that fans will have to wait a little longer to see Fury, Wilder and Joshua resolve which of them becomes the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, committed as each now is to different television networks in America. Promoter Frank Warren, however, insists the coup he has pulled off with ESPN makes those more likely, not less. As it stands, the rematch of Fury’s epic Los Angeles draw with WBC champion Wilder is back on hold and there is no certainty over who his next opponent might be. Fury said: ‘I will fight whoever Frank puts in front of me.’ As for Joshua, following the breakdown of negotiations with Wilder and Fury for a Wembley spectacular in April, he is defending his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles against Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1. For the moment, this all comes as a massive anti-climax for boxing fans everywhere. Nevertheless, bankrolled as his ESPN deal is by the enormous financial resources of the Disney empire, Warren said: ‘Wilder and Joshua will have to decide if they want the much bigger purses which will be on offer now. And how could Tyson turn this down? ‘As we all know, the priority for every fighter has to be making the most money possible while he can.’ That rang true as Fury, who had been the one urging Wilder not to duck out of their rematch, put that fight at risk for an £80m fortune — although he did go on to say: ‘I still want those big fights.’