Boxing: Tyson Fury’s trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder ‘will be POSTPONED due to Covid outbreak’

Tyson Fury’s upcoming trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder this month is set to be pushed back to September after a Covid-19 outbreak in the British heavyweight’s camp, according to reports.

The Gypsy King was set to lock horns with Wilder once again on July 24 after the American successfully forced him to abandon plans to take on fellow Brit Anthony Joshua following a court arbitration and had been training hard in the US as he bids to down the Bronze Bomber for a second time.

But following a coronavirus scare the bout – which was going to be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – is now likely to be delayed until September, as reported by ESPN.

The bout is set to be pushed back from July to September after a Covid outbreak in Fury’s camp, according to reports

The report claims that with the fight set to be a joint pay-per-view with ESPN and FOX, it will now have to be pushed back to the fall because Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Errol Spence Jr is slated for August 21.

Fury shocked the world in February 2020 when he stopped Wilder in the seventh round of their showdown in Las Vegas – taking his WBC world title belt in the process – but has not fought since.

He was widely expected to face Joshua in his next fight, with negotiations between Eddie Hearn and Fury’s promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum dragging on for months amid a struggle to nail down a site venue and agree terms. 

Fury battered Wilder from pillar to post when they last met in Las Vegas in February 2020

But after the two teams finally reached a breakthrough in talks and the mega undisputed fight seemingly on the verge of being announced – a US judge ruled that Wilder had the right to a third fight with Fury.

The Joshua – Fury fight was swiftly dropped and Fury’s team turned their attentions to Wilder, quickly arranging a July date, with Joshua being forced to take on Oleksandr Usyk in September instead.

Fury could now be fighting in the same month if his contest against Wilder is confirmed to be delayed.

Both fighters are hoping to come through their upcoming fights unscathed and set up a highly anticipated showdown – which had been mooted for this winter. But with the pair fighting so close to the end of the year a Spring date has also been suggested too.

The Gypsy King was in line for an undisputed title fight against Anthony Joshua (R) before being forced to take on Wilder by an arbitration ruling

Fury and Wilder had been engaging in their usual trash talk in the build up to this fight, with the British star vowing to ‘run him over like an 18-wheeler’.

‘I gave my game plan away the first time because he wasn’t good enough to do anything about it, I’ll do the same thing this time,’ he said at their first press conference – which saw the two face off in silence for an awkward five minutes.

‘Deontay Wilder is a one trick pony, he has one punch power, we all know that, great. What I’ll do to him this time is run him over as if I’m an 18-wheeler and he’s a human being, I guarantee you it does not go past where it did before. 

‘I’ve had 18 months of practicing what I’m gonna do to him. I want to get up to 300 pounds for this fight and I’m looking for the big knockout straight away.’ 

Fury, now WBC world champion, has not fought since beating Wilder in February 2020

Wilder has hit back in recent weeks and reiterated his claims that Fury ‘cheated’ in their second fight, suggesting he had put an egg weight in his gloves, and stressed he believed Fury would try to cheat in their third bout.

‘You think he ain’t gonna try to cheat this time?’ he told 78SPORTSTV.

‘Oh they’re thinking, they’re coming up with a master plan.

‘But my thing to him – man, you couldn’t even get me out on loaded gloves and the conditions I was under.

‘You couldn’t knock me out, you didn’t knock me out.’ 

More to follow.