Boxing news - Tyson Fury's trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder is off after the British heavyweight caught Covid-19

ByCoral Barry

Published 10/07/2021 at 13:13 GMT

WBC champion Tyson Fury has tested positive for Covid-19 and his trilogy clash with Deontay Wilder has been postponed as a result. The highly-anticipated third fight between the heavyweights is set to be rescheduled for later this year. Top Rank confirmed there had been a coronavirus outbreak in the Fury camp.

Tyson Fury’s trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder has been postponed after the British heavyweight tested positive for Covid-19.

The much-anticipated final instalment of the Wilder-Fury rivalry was scheduled to take place on July 24, but Top Rank has been forced to re-schedule the fight.

The WBC confirmed the postponed on Friday and it is believed organisers will try and re-book the bout for October 9.

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"Fury vs Wilder III will be postponed. We wish Tyson Fury's team and him speedy recovery from COVID." they wrote.

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The report a massive outbreak of coronavirus inside the Fury camp, with as many as nine people on the Gypsy King’s team and inside the Top Rank gym have tested positive for coronavirus.

WBC champion Fury uses the Top Rank gym when he is stationed in Las Vegas and some of his sparring partners have also contracted the virus.

After it became clear there was an outbreak, Fury was tested and returned a positive test on Thursday, ending all hope of the trilogy clash going ahead as planned.

Wilder is reportedly fuming with the postponement and his co-manager Shelly Finkel hit out at the Fury team for such a big outbreak on their watch.

"They didn’t do what they said they had and what they should have done as professional athletes," Finkel told The Athletic.

“There’s so much money, prestige and things riding on this, and we all have a job to do to make sure it happens on time.”

It is the second time this summer a massive heavyweight clash has fallen through and the second time Fury has been involved.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury have fought twice before

Image credit: Getty Images

Fight fans were under the impression they would get to see IBF, WBA (Super) and WBO champion Anthony Joshua go to war with Fury this summer.

An announcement was imminent – according to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn – before Wilder won his arbitration case against Fury which ruled there must be a third fight between the rivals.

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