Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will be pushed back until February 2021 after coronavirus delays, reveals Frank Warren
TYSON FURY’S undisputed heavyweight title fight against fellow Brit Anthony Joshua won’t happen until February 2021. That’s the opinion of Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, who thinks the ongoing coronavirus crisis means it won’t happen this year. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates After Fury completed one of the sport’s […]
TYSON FURY’S undisputed heavyweight title fight against fellow Brit Anthony Joshua won’t happen until February 2021.
That’s the opinion of Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, who thinks the ongoing coronavirus crisis means it won’t happen this year.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
After Fury completed one of the sport’s greatest ever comebacks by crushing Deontay Wilder to hand the American his first ever defeat and win the WBC title, all thoughts turned to a Batte of Britain against AJ.
But a trilogy scrap against Wilder was written into the original deal meaning that would take priority.
And Joshua is mandated by the IBF to fight their mandatory Kubrat Pulev. That is scheduled for June but could face it’s own delays.
Warren and Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn both harboured hopes it could happen before 2020 is out.
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However, Fury’s third fight against Wilder could be moved from July 18 to October 3, meaning Joshua versus Fury will be pushed back still further.
Speaking to The Mirror, Warren said: “They’ve locked down Vegas and the commission has said no boxing.
“We need the time to do the Wilder fight justice in terms of promotion, it won’t go on till the autumn.
“The problem you have is also the training camps if they can’t do them properly, they can’t get in sparring partners from around the world.
“Fighters also need a date to be fully focused on. They want to be at their peak for a date so they need a date to train towards, we can’t give them any dates.
“It is a blow as we would have liked to have got it done in the summer but it is what it is.
“The whole country is in the same boat, everything has gone on hold.”
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SunSport has reported that Fury has earned himself the 60 per cent lion share split in the purse for his trilogy bout against Wilder.
It is thanks to the contract he agreed BEFORE dethroning Wilder, 34, of the WBC title in late February with a dominant seventh round stoppage win.
After the heavyweights drew in December 2018, they agreed a 50/50 split in the rematch, with the loser getting the choice to walk away from trilogy or invoke an immediate title shot but take 40 per cent of the purse.
