Tyson Fury will move on to a trilogy with former foe Deontay Wilder following the deadline expiration to face Brit rival Anthony Joshua.
Promoter Bob Arum discussed the doomed undisputed unification fight on Thursday, stating a Saudi Arabia blockbuster in the summer was unworkable.
Promises from AJ handler Eddie Hearn got stretched as far as they could go. In the end, Fury could no longer wait around.
Five months after serious talks began, Arum told Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph that both men “should find other opponents this summer and meet in December.”
He added: “We cannot wait around any longer. There was a 30-day turnaround for the site. Plus, an agreement on everything else after signing for the two heavyweights to fight each other.
“That has now stretched to 45 days.”
Arum is unhappy with how Hearn has handled the venue negotiations with Saudi investors. This scenario has transpired despite Hearn knowing the people he’s dealing with from experience.
It makes it all the more frustrating for UK fans as Hearn was quite capable of making the Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch when it was on his terms.
DEONTAY WILDER
Fury will look towards another money-spinning installment with Wilder next after their meeting in February 2020 broke box office records in Las Vegas.
Sales of 1.2 million Pay Per Views, as first reported by World Boxing News in discussion with Arum, mean it’s a highly profitable alternative.
As for Joshua and Hearn, it’s the second time they have failed to secure an encounter for all the marbles. Previous efforts with Wilder in 2019 fell apart in similar circumstances.
At the time, Wilder also blamed Hearn for his ever-changing negotiation tactics.
Joshua’s chance is gone again but could reopen in the future.
“It will take months for the Saudis to do their due diligence on such a huge deal. It is not just a site fee,” explains Arum. “There are ancillary demands from the Saudis stretching into the broadcast deals and other things.
“It could take months for it all to play out. It could even take until 2022, the way it looks right now.
“The two fighters need to go and have other fights this summer while the negotiations for that fight in the Middle East concluded,” he added.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
