Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3 off, Fury tests positive for COVID
The arbitrator-ordered WBC heavyweight championship trilogy fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will have to wait.
In what could be a major blow to the heavyweight boxing scene and the path towards one undisputed heavyweight champion, the trilogy bout between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former champ Deontay Wilder — originally set for July 24 in Las Vegas, NV — is postponed.
Per Dan Rafael, Fury has tested positive for COVID-19 as part of an outbreak of the virus in his camp. Mike Coppinger of ESPN reported the outbreak earlier in the day.
BREAKING: Per source, Tyson Fury was one of the people in his camp who tested positive for Covid-19 and the fight with Wilder is postponed. New date TBA. I’ve been told Fury got one vaccine dose but never got the 2nd. At least 3 others in camp also positive. #boxing #FuryWilder3
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) July 8, 2021
Per ESPN Ringside, the fight could potentially now take place at some point in October.
Fury-Wilder 3 has been postponed and will be rescheduled for later this year after several members of Fury’s camp, including Tyson, tested positive for COVID-19.
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) July 9, 2021
Sources told @MikeCoppinger a weekend in October is the new targeted date. pic.twitter.com/NDoORF1Yiu
Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder 3 postponed due to COVID-19 breakout in Fury’s team
Top Rank, the co-promoters of Fury, had told ESPN in a statement that they would “continue to monitor the health status of Tyson and his team, and the status of the event has not changed to date.”
According to Rafael, Fury had received just one COVID vaccine dose. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum had claimed that Fury was fully vaccinated.
In this @FightHubTV clip, Bob Arum tells me that Tyson Fury and his corner are vaccinated. Yes I know you can still get covid but just for reference. pic.twitter.com/noxsukx2U8
— FIGHT HUB MARCOS (@heyitsmarcosv) July 8, 2021
Fury and Wilder first clashed when both men were unbeaten and Wilder was the WBC champ in December 2018. Fury looked to be on his way to winning that fight, but a pair of late knockdowns by Wilder, including one in the final round, forced the fight to be scored a draw.
A rematch took place in February 2020, with Fury dominating Wilder en route to a seventh-round corner stoppage to capture the championship.
Fury was in negotiations earlier this year for an undisputed title clash with WBA/IBF/WBO champion Anthony Joshua. Fury was the holder of all three titles after defeating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015. But an arbitrator ruled that Fury must allow for Wilder’s right to a trilogy bout.
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