Fury-Wilder 3 is official
Ex-champion exercises right for a third fight; it’s slated to be held July 18 in Las Vegas.
Heavyweights will fight for the third time in July, with Wilder out to take back his belts.
The first significant heavyweight championship trilogy of the 21st century is slated to take place in a summer showdown in Sin City.
Almost a week after Deontay Wilder lost via technical knockout to Tyson Fury, the former champion exercised his right to a rematch against newly crowned World Boxing Council and lineal champion Fury, and a third fight between the heavyweights is being planned for July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, according to Top Rank head Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter.
“We received a letter from Wilder’s team on Friday night, and we agreed with the networks and the hotel that July 18 was the optimal date,” Arum said. “We had a seamless promotion last time with Al Haymon, PBC [Premier Boxing Champions] and Fox. We look forward to working with them again.”
Fury, of Britain, battered and bruised Wilder through all seven rounds Feb. 22 at the MGM Grand, prompting Wilder’s corner to throw in the towel. The contract for the sequel contained a bilateral clause that gave the losing fighter a 30-day window to ask for a rematch and for it to take place by July.
The third Fury-Wilder fight will be another Fox and ESPN pay-per-view event, marking the second time the networks have cooperated to put on a boxing showcase. Their first foray yielded nearly 800,000 PPV buys.
Wilder and Fury had a 5050 split in purses for the second fight, but Fury will get a 60-40 pay advantage in the third fight, per the previous contract that was signed ahead of the rematch.
The first Wilder and Fury encounter in 2018, a controversial split-decision draw at Staples Center, netted roughly 325,000 buys on premium cable provider Showtime.
Another Fury and Wilder meeting will mirror the glory days of heavyweight trilogies in boxing.
It will join the likes of Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier as well as Ali versus Ken Norton from the 1970s; Evander Holyfield versus Riddick Bowe from the 1990s; and the three Ingemar Johansson-Floyd Patterson fights from 1959 to 1961.