Promoter Bob Arum believes a third fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder would be big. NFL big.
Arum said on the Everlast TalkBox podcast that should Wilder give the green light for another go at Fury, he would look to stage it at the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders, the still-under-construction, $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium. It is scheduled to be completed by July 31.
“If Deontay Wilder wants a rematch, it’s a big, big fight,” Arum said. “We would look at the new Raiders Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to host its first boxing match ever. It’s all good. But everybody … all the promoters, whether it’s Al Haymon or myself … we’re hopefully going to be cooperative here and not blow the moment that boxing has clawed its way back to the mainstream.”
Fury-Wilder II, which ended with Fury scoring a seventh-round knockout of Wilder, took place at the MGM Grand Garden, the home for most big-ticket fights in the gambling capital. It seats only around 17,000, however, which a third fight may outgrow. Allegiant Stadium, on the other hand, will have a seating capacity of 65,000, along with state-of-the-art technology, including retractable windows and a translucent roof meant to offer an expansive view of the Las Vegas terrain.
Of course, Wilder would have to exercise his contractual right to a third fight. He has told multiple outlets in the past few days that he has every intention of doing so.
If not, Arum believes there’s another viable fight out there for Fury: A full unification with British compatriot Anthony Joshua. Joshua is slated to take on mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev, a fight that Top Rank will co-promote, in June. Nevertheless, Arum said he can pull a few strings to make what would easily be the biggest all-British heavyweight fight ever.
“If Wilder decides to delay the fight, I know we can talk to Pulev to step aside — he’s the mandatory for Joshua — and have Joshua fight Fury, which is the fight that is first place of what you want to see in the heavyweight division.”
But Arum added, “That’s all theoretical.”