Wilder vs Fury rematch possible early this year: Warren
Aworld heavyweight title rematch between Britain’s Tyson Fury and WBC champion Deontay Wilder could take place in the United States in the first half of this year, promoter Frank Warren said yesterday.
Undefeated former champion Fury fought to a thrilling, but controversial, split decision draw with American Wilder in Los Angeles last month.
“We’re trying to make that fight at the moment, everyone wants the fight and most importantly the fighters want it,” Warren told ESPN.
“The venue is looking like the US, that’s where the money is. Tyson was disappointed with the judging with the last fight, as I was, so a lot of things need to be sorted but the US is where they want it, probably in the second quarter.”
Warren said Las Vegas would be an option but appeared to rule out a return to Los Angeles. “I wouldn’t want to go back to California, I didn’t like working with the Californian commission and there were a lot of things we didn’t like there,” he said.
Fury’s bout with Wilder was only his third since a two-anda-half year absence from the sport following mental health issues and a failed drug test. Compatriot Anthony Joshua is the undefeated holder of the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts and a unification bout with Wilder would be a blockbuster draw.
Warren indicated that Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn was in no hurry for that to happen, however.
“Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte, or Jarrell Miller next. We all know that,” he said. “We’re not complicated, Tyson is the most uncomplicated person you will meet, and he will fight anyone. He went to Germany to fight Wladimir Klitschko and he went to America to fight Wilder.
“It’s Barry and Eddie Hearn’s agenda that complicates it. Joshua is their cash cow and they want to keep milking it,” he said of the prospects of a Fury-Joshua fight. Joshua is due to fight next at Wembley Stadium on April 13 against an as-yet unnamed opponent.