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It could happen sooner, but most likely this is happening in 2021.
The trilogy between heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is still supposed to be next, but it’s a matter of which date.
This matchup was slated for the summer before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, then pushed back to the fall, then pushed further to December 19th at the newly built Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Top Rank Boxing’s Bob Arum confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that to avoid going up against a big Saturday of college football and NFL games, they’re looking for a new date.
“We’re moving off because there’s five conference championship games that day and night, plus two NFL games,” Arum said. “So we can’t go with the 19th; we’re looking at other dates right now because ESPN advised us, and Fox advised the PBC [which promotes Wilder].”
Arum said that it’s possible they sooner in December, although when you consider that UFC 256 is slotted for December 12th, that pretty much leaves December 5th as the only option. The plan remains for Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, to be used as the venue and for fans to attend at a limited capacity.
“It’s definitely Allegiant Stadium,” Arum said. “The Raiders are on board, the city is on board, the convention authority is on board. Everybody is on board.”
Fury and Wilder fought to a hotly disputed draw in 2018, with Fury memorably avoiding a KO in the 12th and final round. The rematch this past February was not even remotely competitive, as Fury dropped Wilder twice for the TKO win to become the WBC champion.
