Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua camps talking unification bout next

While Deontay Wilder is set to face Tyson Fury next, ESPN reports that Fury’s camp is in talks with Anthony Joshua’s team for a unification bout.

Minutes after Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOa) stopped Deontay Wilder by TKO in round 7, FanSided suggested that the smart play for Wilder would be to accept step-aside money to allow a Fury vs. Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) unification bout with a guarantee for the winner. That outcome was never likely, but ESPN is saying there’s a chance.

On Thursday, April 30, in the afternoon, ESPN published a story stating that Fury’s management, MTK, has entered into early negotiations with Joshua’s promotional company Matchroom Boxing for a heavyweight boxing full title unification fight next. ESPN’s Mark Kriegel broke the story.

According to ESPN, Fury’s team is trying to work out a deal that would allow for a unification fight in place of a trilogy bout with Wilder which is contractually obligated at the moment.

“Sources said the offer to Fury would have to be large enough to pay Deontay Wilder, who is coming off surgery, to waive his contractual right to an immediate rematch,” stated ESPN’s report.

ESPN also contacted Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel, for comment.

“As far as we’re concerned, the next fight [for Wilder] is the third fight [with Fury],” Finkel told ESPN.

Multiple sources have stated that Wilder refuses to accept step-aside money, and he has been adamant about his desire to fight Fury for a third time immediately following his October defeat.

While Finkel’s words seem final, money talks as the old saying goes. If Fury and Joshua can offer Wilder enough money to stand on the sidelines with a guarantee to fight the winner, it might be an offer he can’t refuse.

Joshua was supposed to fight Kubrat Pulev in June, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Joshua would have to find a way to get out of his contractual obligations to Pulev as well.

Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn told ESPN, “We’re talking to MTK about where that fight [Fury vs. Joshua] would take place. At the moment, the main focus for everybody [is] the contractual situations.”

The chances of a Fury vs. Joshua clash before a third contest between Fury and Wilder are slight, but at least Fury and his team are trying to give the world an undisputed heavyweight champion.

Wilder has a lot of pride, but it would be smart to allow the unification bout as long as he’s getting paid and a guarantee to fight the winner. It may not be what he wants, but it is still the smart thing to do.