Parker, Fury contract Covid — report
Doubt cast over blockbuster title fight as Kiwi caught in Vegas camp chaos
New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has reportedly contracted Covid-19 in Las Vegas, causing chaos ahead of a scheduled blockbuster fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
Respected boxing writer Dan Rafael tweeted yesterday Parker and trainer Andy Lee are among those to have tested positive for the virus. Parker had been in Las Vegas training at Fury’s camp.
The heavyweight world title fight between Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) and Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) scheduled for this month is in doubt after Rafael also reported Fury had the virus.
Fury’s promoters Top Rank yesterday played down reports the WBC heavyweight champion’s trilogy fight with Wilder — set for July 25 — is in jeopardy.
However, Rafael believes the fight has already been postponed.
“Per source, Tyson Fury was one of the people in his camp who tested positive for Covid-19 and the fight with Wilder is postponed,” he posted.
“New date TBA. I’ve been told Fury got one vaccine dose but never got the second. At least three others in camp also positive.”
Tellingly, rival promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted soon after Rafael to say he had spoken to fellow British fighter Dillian Whyte about stepping in as a replacement for Fury against Wilder.
A representative from Top Rank said more would be known “in the next day or two” as they look into the health status of Fury and his team.
Wilder and his team, meanwhile, are continuing to prepare for the July fight, with Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel telling World Boxing News they had received no notification of the fight being postponed.
Fury is facing Wilder due to the US fighter’s victory in an arbitration case. That forced the British boxer to back out of an undisputed heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua, which had been scheduled for next month in Saudi Arabia.
Retired judge Daniel Weinstein ruled Wilder had a contractual right to a third contest with Fury.
Wilder and Fury first fought in Los Angeles in December 2018, in a dramatic 12-round contest which ended in a controversial split draw, with Fury rising from the canvas after being felled in the final round.
In their second meeting in Las Vegas in February 2020, Fury dominated Wilder, dropping him twice in the third and fifth rounds, with the fight stopped in the seventh round when the towel came in from the former champion’s corner. Neither Fury, who claimed the WBC title in the fight, nor Wilder, have fought since.