Deontay Wilder has exercised his rematch clause to take on Tyson Fury for a third time, with promoter Bob Arum saying the two will meet again this summer.
Wilder lost both his unbeaten record and the WBC heavyweight belt in the second clash between the pair on February 22, when Fury ended a heavily one-sided encounter with a TKO in the seventh round.
The American had 30 days from that bout to call a rematch, and appears to have done just that. Arum, who promotes Fury in the United States, told Ringside Reporter he had been “formally notified” by Wilder’s team that they have accepted the rematch, saying the trilogy clash will be “before the Olympics – July”.
British broadcaster BT Sport also ran with the news, saying both Arum and Frank Warren, Fury’s other promoter, had confirmed Wilder had officially triggered the clause.
The latest development appears to have pushed back Fury’s potential unification fight with Anthony Joshua, who had been in line to take on his fellow Englishman in a blockbuster bout. Joshua, the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion, is now expected to fight Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory IBF match-up in London in June.
Should Fury and Joshua both come through their next tests, Arum said they could meet before the end of the year. Saudi Arabia, where Joshua regained his belts last December in his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr, has been mooted as a possible host.
Wilder and Fury first fought in December 2018, a thrilling clash in which Fury dominated before having to recover from a devastating knockdown in the final round. It was scored a split draw. Fury remains undefeated from 31 fights, with 30 wins, while Wilder's record now stands at 42 victories from 44 professional outings.
Taking to social media on Friday night, Wilder said: “I will rise again. I am strong. I am a king; you can’t take my pride. I am a warrior. I am a king that will never give up. I’m a king that will fight to the death. And if anyone don’t understand that, don’t understand what it is to go to war, don’t understand what it is to fight... we will rise again.
"We will regain the title. I will be back. We will hold our heads up high. Your king is in great spirit. We will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and regain the title. I’ll see you in a few months, for the war has just begun. All my love to all my people.”
