Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum has revealed Tyson Fury vs Kubrat Pulev could happen later in 2020 for the undisputed heavyweight crown.
Both boxers, who are signed to his company, are on a collision course for an in-house battle if they can both overcome their next challenges.
Fury faces Deontay Wilder on February 22nd for the WBC strap. Pulev battles Joshua for the other belts on offer, potentially in the UK this coming May.
Ratifying the terms of the existing contract, which WBN has explained in detail previously, Fury firstly has to beat Wilder well enough for the American to walk away from a stipulated trilogy.
“The contract now says that the loser of the fight (Wilder vs Fury II) can demand a third fight, but he has to then take forty percent,” Arum explained on The AK and Barak Show via Sirius XM Radio. “The winner of the second fight gets 60%. But it’s up to the loser to pull the plug for the (second (rematch),” he stressed.
Asked whether if Fury does beat Wilder he would be looking to fight Anthony Joshua next, Arum said Pulev, secondly, would put an end to those thoughts.
The Hall of Famer stated: “If Wilder, in that case being the loser, decides to go in another direction. Then absolutely Fury will be fighting Pulev, who will have knocked out Anthony Joshua.”
Joshua vs Pulev is currently in talks, with rival promoter Eddie Hearn holding all the aces – as usual. Despite Pulev revealing his desire for a neutral venue, the Bulgarian knows the best deal for him would lie in Great Britain.
Giving AJ home comforts brings in extra Pay-Per-View revenue from the UK market. This means hosting in London leads the staging stakes over the United States.
At some point, Joshua does want to exorcise his demons from the Andy Ruiz Jr. defeat in New York. But after fighting in the USA and then Saudi Arabia, a homecoming makes sense for the Briton.
As for Fury, ‘The Gypsy King’ is predicting a two-round demolition job on Wilder, which would be music to the ears of Arum.
Fury vs Pulev would then be firmly on the cards for the undisputed crown and open up a world of possibilities in regards to a future clash.
The only way Joshua and Hearn could stop Arum’s masterplan would be to vacate one of the titles beforehand.
Arum’s in-house blockbuster then becomes a unification.
