It’s official.
Deontay Wilder has formally exercised the rematch clause for a third fight with Tyson Fury, according to multiple reports.
Top Rank President Todd duBoef confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that Wilder exercised the clause Friday. Fury is tied to Top Rank.
The move was no surprise. At the news conference after Fury’s stunning seventh-round stoppage of Wilder nine days ago at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, trainer Jay Deas and manager Shelly Finkel said there would be an immediate third fight.
Last week, Fury co-promoter Frank Warren and Anthony Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn urged Wilder to step aside for a price. That might have led to a Joshua-Fury showdown in the U.K. for the undisputed title later this year. But their pleas fell on deaf ears. Wilder has other ideas.
He wants to avenge an embarrassing performance, which ended with assistant trainer Mark Breland throwing in the towel. A couple of days later, Wilder blamed a heavy costume for weakening his legs in his walk to the ring
According to the contract, the third leg in the trilogy will happen sometime in July.
Meanwhile, Joshua is expected to fight Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory title defense June 20 in London. On Friday, the deal was still not done. Maybe Hearn was waiting on Wilder’s decision. Now that Wilder’s move is official, Joshua-Pulev might soon be too.
Read more:
Tyson Fury beats the heavyweight title out of Deontay Wilder
Costume did it? Deontay Wilder says weight of get-up weakened legs