Fury Ordered To Fight Wilder Before Joshua

Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder could have been ordered to meet in a third fight, potentially jeopardising Fury's heavyweight unification bout with Anthony Joshua

It appears that the much-anticipated fight between British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will be delayed, yet again. An arbitrator ruled Monday that Fury must have a rematch with American Deontay Wilder before taking on Joshua, according to multiple reports.

Fury was supposed to face Wilder in 2020 before agreeing to a fight with Joshua in 2021. When the pandemic altered plans for Fury-Wilder III, the 32-year-old sought a meeting with Joshua first.

.@cmckennasport first reported the development. Fury announced yesterday that the deal to fight Anthony Joshua was agreed to. Fury-Joshua could still take place Aug. 14 as planned, but this Wilder rules now muddies the matter and must be resolved
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 17, 2021

“We're not paying Wilder to step aside,” Bob Arum, Fury’s promoter, told ESPN Monday, acknowledging that a bout with Joshua will have to wait. “It’s better to get rid of him and go about our business. We can make the Fury-Joshua fight for November or December.”

Fury defeated Wilder with a seventh-round knockout on Feb. 22 of last year. In 2018, the two heavyweights fought to a draw, the only bout of Fury’s career that he didn’t win.

Neither boxer has stepped in the ring since they last met. The third meeting could take place in Las Vegas on July 24, according to Arum.

The arbitrator ruled that Fury and Wilder must fight by Sept. 15.

A bout between Fury and Joshua is the biggest potential heavyweight fight in boxing. Joshua had been 22-0 with 21 knockouts before he was shockingly defeated by Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019. Joshua bounced back and won the rematch six months later, reclaiming his titles.

Joshua last fought on Dec. 12, knocking out Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round.