How much fan interest remains when it comes to a third fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder? A whole lot has happened since December 1st, 2018, the date of the first fight between the two then undefeated giants. While the first fight had some epic moments – that amazing 12th round when Fury, somehow, got up from a heavy knockdown to come back at Wilder being the highlight – the rematch was a complete beatdown.
Has Wilder recovered from what happened to him in February of this year? Will the former WBC heavyweight champ ever fully recover? It seems longer ago than seven months since Fury did his destruction job in fight-two, and we’re still waiting for the contracted third fight. Or are we? Is anyone still interested in seeing a third fight? The latest news on when the third fight will take place comes from Bob Arum, who spoke with ESPN.
Arum says the aim now is to have the fight take place on December 19th at The Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas – capacity 65,000, with Arum stating how he hopes 10,000 to 15,000 fans will be allowed to attend the fight.
“That’s what we’re moving ahead on, on all fronts, with the security, with the virus, and everything,” Arum said. “We’re talking with everybody here in town, with the [Las Vegas] Raiders. So we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to do the event in Nevada, in Las Vegas.”
But has this fight past its sell-by date? Again, is Wilder, 42-1-1(40) damaged goods? There have been so many theories, conspiracy ones included, over what happened to Wilder back in February: Wilder’s ring entrance suit was too heavy. Wilder had a damaged bicep when entering the fight. Fury, 30-0-1(21) “tampered with his gloves” (this one has been widely discredited of course). And, from Wilder himself, Mark Breland stopped the fight too quickly when he threw the towel in in that seventh round.
Will anything change in a third fight? Wilder could well be the biggest underdog of a former heavyweight champion attempting to regain the title from the guy wo took it from him since Floyd Patterson had the unenviable task of getting back in there with Sonny Liston. That was way back in 1963. Heavyweights are far, far bigger now. Some people say they are better nowadays compared to way back when. That’s another story.
And it would be some amazing story if Wilder was able to pull off an amazing comeback before the end of the year. But if there might not be all that many fans aching to see the third fight, there are even less fight fans out there who are willing to bet a dime on a Wilder victory. How things have changed since this time last year.
