Deontay Wilder makes demands ahead of Tyson Fury fight

Deontay Wilder has demanded he is given a full pay check and the WBC title if Tyson Fury pulls out of their trilogy fight on 9 October.

The bout is the third between the two heavyweights and the first encounter in December 2018 was judged a split draw with Fury stripping Wilder of the title in February 2020.

The fight was originally scheduled for 24 July but Fury had to withdraw after he tested positive for Covid. Now Wilder believes his opponent could pull out once again.

“If he don’t show up he’s going to have to suffer the consequences, the penalties that’ve been set forth,” Wilder told 78SportsTV. “If he don’t fight, then pay me what you’re supposed to pay me. Then you have to give up that belt as well.

“So it’s a win-win situation for me, it’s a lose-lose situation for him. That’s the great thing about it cause, the saying has always said that history repeats itself. We know his actions are always the same, he’s done this many of times where he tries to get out of fights. He has had a door to escape from. But at this moment in time he has no more doors, no options.

“He has to put up or shut up, fight or retire. Either fight and give me my money or give up that belt. It’s a win-win situation for me and with that being said I can sleep at night.”

Fury was forced by a court to go ahead with the trilogy fight after he tried to arrange a bout with fellow British boxer Anthony Joshua.

The pair, while unable to go ahead with the meeting as soon as they would have wanted, are still keen to fight one another with Joshua stating his want as recently as Monday.

He told BBC 5 Live: “We need it for boxing. I need it, you need it, the boxing world needs it. To get better is very difficult in boxing. To improve is difficult.

“So, to fight Tyson Fury is a big challenge for myself, because I’m going to put that pressure on myself to actually get better. But it’s what we all need, I need it, just to see how good I am. Come on, let’s go through this training camp again.”