Promoter in hurry to set up Fury v Joshua
TYSON FURY’S promoter Frank Warren wants the new WBC heavyweight champion to fight Anthony Joshua next in a world title unification bout but says Deontay Wilder will first have to be persuaded to forgo an immediate rematch – something he does not seem inclined to do.
Fury claimed the WBC title in Las Vegas last weekend with a seventh-round stoppage of Wilder, who fought the Briton to a splitdecision draw in their first meeting in December 2018.
Wilder told The Athletic this week that he would exercise his option of a third fight, but Warren said he does not want to delay a mouthwatering match-up with Joshua, who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts.
‘I prefer to go straight to Joshua but that’s the contract,’ Warren told the BBC. ‘If he insists on the fight, we’re locked into it.
‘It has to be honoured unless we reach some accommodation for him to step aside. We could pay him to step aside if he wants to do that, but that’s his choice.
‘It would be lucrative for him, but I have spoken to his manager and Deontay does believe he has the beating of Tyson, and he can knock him out,’ added Warren.
‘I don’t believe that. I fancied Tyson to stop him before the fight at the weekend.’
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had said a fight with Fury ‘will happen’ and could be the biggest in the history of the sport.
Wilder, though, has repeated his desire to reclaim the world heavyweight title from Fury, who proclaims himself the lineal heavyweight champion as well as the holder of the WBC strap.
After being stopped in the seventh by Fury in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old Alabama native blamed the weight of his ring-walk costume for his defeat.
The American wasted little time in invoking a rematch clause which makes it likely he and Fury will soon face off for a third time – ahead of any bout with Joshua for last week’s winner.
In a video message posted on his Twitter account, Wilder said: ‘I want to let you know that your king is here and we ain’t going nowhere.
‘I will rise again. I am strong, I am king. You can’t take my pride. I am a warrior. I am a king that will never give up.
‘We will rise again. We will regain the title. I will be back. We will hold our heads up high.
‘Your king is in great spirit and we will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and regain the title. I will see you in a few months.’
Joshua is set to face mandatory IBF challenger Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria next, with talks ongoing for a bout in June.
The Londoner got his own career back on track in Saudi Arabia last year after suffering a shock first defeat in June against American Andy Ruiz Jnr. Joshua won their December rematch in Riyadh comfortably on points.