It’s the world heavyweight title fight everyone wants to see: Deontay Wilder Vs. Tyson Fury II – the rematch. The December 1st fight exceeded expectations but was as we all know scored a draw. Not for a long time has a heavyweight title fight rematch been so obviously needed. Shortly after the draw, The WBC announced it would be no problem for the organisation to sanction a rematch, but now a step further has been taken, with The WBC officially ordering the two parties come up with a deal for a second fight or the bout will go to a purse bid on February 5th.
As per an official statement from The WBC:
“Consistent with the WBC board of governors voting regarding the direct rematch between WBC champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, the WBC is hereby notifying both camps that the free negotiating period is opened. If there is no agreement between the parties, a purse bid will be conducted by the WBC on Tuesday February the 5th. The WBC has modified the 70/30 split and has confirmed a 60/40 split in favour of the champion, considering the market value of Fury.”
So will Fury – who of course feels he was deserving of the decision at The Staples Centre in L.A – agree to take 40-percent of the purse and sign up for the return fight? Will Wilder be content with a 60/40 split in his favour? It is to be hoped so. This fight absolutely needs to happen, has to happen. Anthony Joshua aside (who is still searching for a suitable April 13th challenger) there are no other truly meaningful heavyweight title fights out there, quite simply.
It is to be hoped the fight gets made before a purse bid is necessary. The first fight between the WBC champ and the reigning lineal champ was a relatively easy and straightforward one to make by all accounts, so why should the rematch be any different? Of course the return fight is a bigger fight, with more money to be made, that fight-one, but all it really takes (according to one boxing promoter) is for the two fighters to genuinely want to fight one another.
Both Fury and Wilder seem to want a rematch as much as they wanted the first fight Let’s hope this has not changed.
