Deontay Wilder continues to talk as though he wants an immediate third fight with Tyson Fury despite a call from U.K. promoters and fans for him to take the money, step aside and make way for a Fury showdown with Anthony Joshua.
But Wilder said on social media he isn’t going anywhere.
“Hello my people, my Bomb Squad army, my Bomb Squad nation, to all my loved ones around the world,’’ Wilder said in a video message late this week, just days after his devastating seventh-round TKO loss to Fury. “I just want to let you know I am here. Your king is here and we ain’t going nowhere, for the war has just begun. I will rise again. I am strong. I am a king, you can’t take my pride. I am a warrior. I am a king that will never give up. I’m a king that will fight to the death.
— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) February 29, 2020
“And if anyone don’t understand that, don’t understand what it is to go to war, don’t understand what it is to fight, 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 spirits. We will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and regain the title. I’ll see you in a few months, for the war has just begun. All my love to all my people.”
Wilder has already said he would exercise a contract clause for a third fight. But Fury co-promoter Frank Warren and Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn hope there’s enough money to convince him to step aside.
However, Fury’s American promoter Bob Arum is already talking about a Fury-Wilder rematch in July. Arum has also floated the idea of doing a third fight at the Las Vegas Raiders’ new home, Allegiant Stadium. Construction is expected to be done on July 31.
Meanwhile, Hearn is moving forward on plans for Joshua to make a mandatory title defense against Kubrat Pulev on June 20 in London. However, that deal still is not done. It’s been under discussion for several weeks.
“If they do rematch, I just hope they stick to the contract date of July because we want this fight in 2020 and no later,’’ Hearn told the New York Post. “We’ll fight our mandatory in June, and we’ll sign to fight the winner now. But we don’t want to wait beyond 2020. Seize the moment.”
Read more:
Bob Arum to explore staging Fury-Wilder III at new stadium in Las Vegas
Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev set for June 20 in London