Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will fight for a third time in July after an independent arbitrator ruled the American was owed a trilogy fight.
The decision came just days after Fury had announced a four-belt unification bout vs Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
Fury and Wilder’s legal teams went to arbitration to settle a disagreement over a rematch clause in their contract after the boxers’ fights in 2018 and 2020 and the arbitrator ruled in Wilder’s favour.
The Bronze Bomber was a perfect 40-0 before fighting to a draw with Fury in December 2018 and then coming away with the first loss of his career in their February 2020 rematch. Reuters
What is it?
The third fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, who will battle for the WBC heavyweight title. Fury was on track to meet Anthony Joshua for the undisputed heavyweight crown late this summer in Saudi Arabia, but the biggest fight in British boxing history collapsed when a judge in the US ruled Wilder had the contractual right to a third contest with the ‘Gypsy King’.
When is it?
The fight will take place on Saturday, July 24.
Where is it?
Fury-Joshua 3 will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
What TV channel will it be on?
TV coverage in the UK is yet to be confirmed. Fury v Wilder 2 was broadcast by BT Sport Box Office.
What time is the fight likely to start?
As with all Las Vegas fights, we expect it to start between 4am and 5am GMT (so this would be the early hours of Sunday, July 25 in the UK).
What happened in the first two fights?
Fury and Wilder fought to a disputed draw in their first bout back in 2018, but Fury dominated the rematch from the outset and stopped the Bronze Bomber in the seventh round to inflict Wilder’s first career loss.
What are their records?
Tyson Fury
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Total fights 31
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Wins 30
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Wins by KO 21
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Losses 0
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Draws 1
Deontay Wilder
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Total fights 44
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Wins 42
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Wins by KO 41
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Losses 1
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Draws 1
What are they saying?
Tyson Fury vowed to flatten Deontay Wilder while the challenger said blood will be shed as the fighters came face-to-face in the first press conference before their trilogy fight.
Fury (30-0-1) first fought former long-time heavyweight champion Wilder (42-1-1) to a draw in 2018 and took the WBC title from him in a rematch in February 2020 with a seventh-round stoppage.
Fury said he has added one-punch knockout power to his arsenal and would dominate the American when the bell rings in their third fight.
“What I’m going to do to Deontay Wilder this time is I’m going to run him over as if I’m an 18-wheeler and he’s a human being,” said the Briton, who predicted that he would knock Wilder out in fewer than seven rounds.
“I’m building my weight up, I’m trying to get up to 300 pounds for this fight because I’m looking for a big knockout straight away,” he said.
“I don’t think he’s mentally, physically or emotionally involved in this fight. I think he’s doing it for the wrong reasons and when people do things for the wrong reasons, they always wind up getting hurt.”
Wilder said: “Enough said… because come July 24, there will be blood shed.” Reuters
What are the latest odds?
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Fury win – 1/3
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Wilder win – 9/4
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Draw – 25/1
(All odds via Oddschecker)
What is our prediction?
Assuming Fury comes into this third fight in decent shape and does not take Wilder for granted then he should win comfortably in similar fashion to their second bout (and, arguably, the first which was deemed a draw).
Of course Wilder has game-changing power but Fury totally outclassed him with his ring savvy and skills last time out and will expect to do so again.
Fury to win by stoppage in the mid to late rounds.