Deontay Wilder has told Tyson Fury’s representatives it will take a mammoth fee of £17million for him to step aside so he can fight Anthony Joshua this summer. The Bronze Bomber’s won his legal case at yesterday’s arbitrator when former judge Daniel Weinstein ruled that Fury must rematch Wilder by September 15.
Alternatively, should Fury wish to go ahead with the undisputed heavyweight world championship versus Joshua, he would have to pay Wilder a substantial step-aside fee.
Fury has always been clear that he would prefer to lock horns with his former rival once again as opposed to shelling out a significant pay-day for Wilder, who he pulverised inside seven rounds at the MGM Grand in February 2020.
Express Sport understands that Wilder has told Fury’s camp that it would take £17m for him to move out of the firing line.
Bob Arum has already been clear that he is not willing to oblige, meaning the fight now looks set to happen later this summer.
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The Top Rank chief has already confirmed to ESPN that he reserved the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Fury vs Wilder 3 on July 24.
Arum has now made it clear that Fury intends to fight Wilder before readdressing the all-British mega-fight with Joshua in November or December.
Speaking to iFL TV in May last year before the civil court hearing, Fury made it clear he will fight Wilder again if ordered to do so.
“I’m not paying him no money to step aside, I’d rather take his scalp again,” he said.
“I’ll beat him in the ring and that’s how I’ll get him out the way, I wouldn’t pay him £2m to step aside – I’d rather give him another battering, hopefully, the end of [2020].”
Meanwhile, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is prepared to give his counterpart Arum some time to find a resolution.
Hearn, who has worked tirelessly to secure the site deal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for August 14 has now been forced to devise a backup plan for his man Joshua.
As revealed by Express Sport this morning, Hearn held talks with Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk about the potential match-up.
Ultimately, should Joshua and Fury both reign supreme, all parties would be able to press on with the undisputed clash later in the year.
For now, the ball is firmly in Fury and Arum’s court and as things stand, the Wilder trilogy fight looks set to go ahead later this summer.
Usyk is next in line to fight Joshua as the WBO mandatory challenger and the two promoters have already worked together on a number of occasions, meaning negotiations would be a formality if required.
