Fury £80m deal may delay Wilder
Heavyweight signs for five fights in America Warren says Joshua meeting on cards as well
The prospect of Tyson Fury meeting Deontay Wilder in a heavyweight rematch took a dramatic twist yesterday when the British fighter revealed an £80 million five-bout deal to fight in the United States.
The agreement with American broadcaster ESPN appears to make the hugely anticipated rematch with Wilder more difficult, given that the World Boxing Council champion has been fighting on the Showtime channel.
However, Fury insisted that the rematch with Wilder, which had been set for May 18 in Las Vegas, was still on the cards – and that the new deal simply made it easier for him to negotiate a fight against Anthony Joshua.
“I want Wilder, I still want Wilder, but I would also take Joshua and I have more chance of getting them with this deal,” Fury said.
Aside from Wilder, there is the prospect that Fury could fight Oscar Rivas (26-0) or Kubrat Pulev (26-1).
Wilder was given a controversial draw against Fury after the Briton had dominated their fight in Los Angeles in December. He had lost 10 stone in weight after 30 months away from the sport.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said: “Tyson wants it [the Wilder fight], we all want it, and now we’ve got to make it happen. It’s up to us now to sit down and get it over the line. We want to fight Joshua, too. We tried to make the fight, it’s a 5050 fight [financially] and they did not want to make it.”
In the deal, unveiled at BT Sport’s headquarters at the Olympic Park, east London, the British broadcaster has joined forces with Warren, ESPN and veteran promoter Bob Arum. It will give the unbeaten “Gypsy King” significantly more clout in fight negotiations.
“The story continues,” Fury said. “After the anxiety, the weight I gained, the depression, the drinking and the drugs – it’s a Cinderella story and it is not over. I’m nearly seven-foot tall, weighed nearly 30-stone and I came out with the mental health issues. I’m fighting for more than just boxing.
Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the WBC, said: “In the next few days we will get the current position from both sides and if there is an amicable agreement to make the fight, we will make a ruling from our committee.”
Meanwhile, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, Joshua’s next opponent, yesterday described the heavyweight champion as “money greedy and a privileged spoilt brat”, claiming that their June 1 showdown at Madison Square Garden would be “a rude awakening” for the undefeated Briton.
Joshua, holder of the WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight belts will make his United States debut in Manhattan, in a fight between two unbeaten heavyweights, the bout to be aired on streaming service DAZN in America.
“He’s a privileged spoiled brat and I’m from the grit of the street, I was born for this,” Miller told The Daily Telegraph. “Everything I’ve got, I’ve earned. Nothing has been given to me like it was for him in the Olympics. Like I said before, he’s fighting a different animal.”