By Rhett Butler
The Shadow League
It’s on. Tyson Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) and Deontay Wilder, (40-0 with 39 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, will meet likely in November in a 12-round matchup for Wilder’s WBC heavyweight world championship.
The 6-foot-7 Wilder is America’s only heavyweight champion since 2007. The 6-foot-9 Fury is a former IBF, WBA and WBO Champion who has never been defeated in 27 professional fights.
The match was cemented earlier this month after Fury cruised to a ten round unanimous decision victory over Francesco Pianeta in front of 25,000 fans at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Fury had teased the media for weeks leading up to the fight that he had already secured a fight with Wilder upon a successful showing against Pianeta. Wilder confirmed he would fight Fury next amid a faux in-ring face-off. Details of venue and date were not revealed, however, but Fury has said the fight will be in Las Vegas in November on multiple times.
“I didn’t need as much time as I thought I did. My timing is there. My movement is there. My speed is back. Everything is how it should be. There’s no need for two more warm-up fights, it would just be a waste of time,” said Fury.
Fury, 30, ended a two-and-a-half year absence in June when he stopped Sefer Seferi in four rounds. Derailed due to his many problems with alcohol, drugs, and depression, many waited for Fury to get his life together while heavyweights like Anthony Joshua and Wilder have reenergized the division.
Fury outpointed Wladimir Klitschko to cinch three world titles in November 2015.
“Going into the Klitschko fight [in November 2015], I had two fights beforehand: Dereck Chisora [November 2014] and Christian Hammer in February 2015. Ten months later I beat the reigning world heavyweight [champion] with one fight under my belt that year.”
Immediately after the fight, Showtime issued a media alert that Wilder vs. Fury will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. The fight will be Wilder’s PPV debut and a guaranteed international fight that pits the U.S. vs. Great Britain.
This story originally appeared on TheShadowLeague.com, a site dedicated to journalistically sound sports coverage with a cultural perspective that insightfully informs sports fans worldwide.
