Tyson Fury claims he’s not fighting Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout

Tyson Fury tells The Athletic that he’s not fighting Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight for his next bout. He blames Wilder’s team. 

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury had a contractual rematch scheduled with Deontay Wilder, but it looks like the trilogy match is off.

Fury told The Athletic in the early hours of the morning on Monday, Oct. 12, that he no longer plans to fight Wilder next. He claims that Wilder’s team attempted to reschedule the fight multiple times and that he has had enough.

“I was looking forward to smashing Wilder again,” Fury told The Athletic. “A quick and easy fight. But Wilder and his team were messing around with the date. They don’t really want to fight the lineal heavyweight champion. They know how it ends. The world knows how it will end: with Wilder on his a** again.”

Fury added, “When they tried moving off Dec. 19 and pushing to next year, enough was enough. I’ve moved on.”

Fury’s words are the latest in the ongoing drama over his trilogy bout with Wilder. Just a day earlier, Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports that the planned fight between Fury and Wilder is still on.

“They are wrong, we will fight in December,” Finkel said to Sky Sports.

Tyson Fury contradicted Deontay Wilder’s team’s claims that their December fight date is still on while talking to The Athletic

Wilder and Fury fought to a draw in their first meeting in 2018. Fury won rounds, but Wilder knocked Fury down twice to enable the draw. Wilder’s final knockdown of Fury in the 12th round had Fury down until the count of 9. At first glance, Fury looked completely out but came to in a flash.

The rematch was completely onesided.

In February of 2020, Fury dropped Wilder twice before Wilder’s co-trainer Mark Breland wisely threw in the towel in round 7. Finkel told Boxingscene.com on Oct. 2 that Breland was no longer part of Wilder’s team. Finkel told ESPN that same day that current trainer Jay Deas and longtime Wilder friend, sparring partner, and onetime opponent, Malik Scott, would take on training responsibilities.

Fury and Wilder’s third matchup was slated for Dec. 19 after numerous rescheduled dates, but Fury’s words put any future encounter in doubt. Since his February loss, Wilder has been unusually quiet, and Finkel has been the primary voice speaking on his behalf. We’ll see how Wilder and his team respond to Fury’s latest comments.