Tyson Fury expects to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time after stripping the American of his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Following a split draw in the first fight in December 2018, Fury comfortably won the rematch, becoming the first man to defeat Wilder in 44 professional fights and the first man to drop the Bronze Bomber in almost a decade.
Speaking after the fight, the Gypsy King suggested he expected Wilder to ask for a third fight. A clause in the contract that stipulated the two fights allows the Alabama Native to demand a third encounter, as long as he does so within a month from Saturday.
"He is a warrior," Fury said of Wilder after the fight. "He will be back. He will be champion again. I know he is a warrior and I'll be waiting.
"The spoils of war have just happened. Deontay needs time to recover but I'm almost sure he will take a rematch. I'm pretty sure we'll do it again, if he wants to. If he doesn't want to [...] whoever's next will get the same treatment."
The newly-crowned WBC heavyweight world champion then suggested "there is only one place" for the third fight to take place, when asked by British broadcaster BT Sport Box Office where he thought a potential third bout with Wilder would take place.
"Over the road at the Allegiant Stadium in front of 70,000 fans," the 31-year-old said, referencing the soon-to-be completed venue that will host the Las Vegas Raiders beginning next season.
Fury ended Wilder's five-year reign as WBC heavyweight champion with a boxing masterclass on Saturday. In the lead-up to the fight, the Briton had repeatedly suggested he would look to knock out the American, despite knowing an attacking approach may leave him exposed to Wilder's devastating right hand.
The Gypsy King stayed true to his word, fighting on the front foot from the opening bell, a significant shift in dynamic from the first fight, when Wilder had looked to land the big shots while being outboxed by Fury.
The Briton became the first man in 30 fights to floor Wilder as he landed a right hand to the temple in the third round, sending the defending champion to the canvas.
Two rounds later, Wilder went down again, this time after a clubbing body blow.
With the American unsteady on his legs and bleeding from his left ear, Fury continued his assault, working Wilder to the head and body. While the KO blow remained elusive, the American's camp threw in the towel at the 1:39 mark in the seventh round, sparing their man further punishment.
While Wilder has the right to demand a rematch against Fury, British promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested nobody wanted to see a third fight between the two.
"For me, we should go straight into AJ [Anthony Joshua] vs Fury next," Hearn, who promotes Anthony Joshua, was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "No one wants to see a third fight [between Fury and Wilder]."
A fight between the two Britons could be one of the biggest fights in history and would give the heavyweight division its first undisputed world champion in 20 years.
Joshua holds the WBA, IBO, IBF, and WBO belts Fury took from Wladimir Klitschko after defeating the Ukrainian in November 2015 and then subsequently vacated during a 31-month hiatus away from the sport.
Fury's U.S. career is overseen by Bob Arum's Top Rank, which also promotes Kubrat Pulev. The Bulgarian is 28-1 since turning professional and is expected to be Joshua's next opponent, but Hearn remained hopeful his client would fight Fury instead.
"Top Rank promote Pulev so this maybe our chance to make sure it's undisputed."
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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