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Tyson Fury set to fight undefeated Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas this summer

Tyson Fury’s next fight is set to be against little-known German prospect Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas this summer.

The first date of former world heavyweight champion Fury’s lucrative five-fight deal with US broadcasting giants ESPN is to take place on June 15 at the boxing capital’s Thomas and Mack Center.

Schwarz is unbeaten and ranked second by the WBO organisation but is outside the top 15 with both the WBA and the WBC and is ninth with the IBF.

Tom Schwarz (right) is undefeated in 24 professional bouts. (Bongarts/Getty Images)
Tom Schwarz (right) is undefeated in 24 professional bouts. (Bongarts/Getty Images)

ESPN’S Spanish/Latin arm – ESPN Desportes – made the claim that the meeting with Schwarz is aimed at building Fury’s profile in the USA rather than being a huge event in itself - with bigger contests to follow.

But it represents a major change of direction after the collapse of the prospect of a major rematch for Fury against WBC champion Deontay Wilder following their hugely popular draw in Los Angeles last December.

Schwarz has won all 24 of his professional contests - 16 by knockout - but has no major names on his record and has boxed just twice outside Germany - in the Czech Republic.

If the Schwarz fight is confirmed, it will mean the three leading heavyweights are all following divergent paths in their next fights.

It is believed ESPN are set to officially announce Fury’s next opponent during their broadcast of Saturday’s heavyweight fight between Kubrat Pulev and Bogdan Dinu in California.

Britain’s four-belt world champion Anthony Joshua is taking on Jarrell Miller in New York in June while Wilder fights mandatory WBC challenger Dominic Breazeale in the same city two weeks earlier on May 18.

The idea of any permutation of collisions between the top three is more remote than ever because each is signed with rival TV networks in the USA – Fury with ESPN, Joshua with DAZN and Wilder with Showtime.

Fury, 30, is ranked fourth by the WBO and could potentially be working his way towards a mandatory shot at their title, which is held by Joshua – although that is a long way off.

Former unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk could be next in line for a mandatory WBO title bid and is set to make his heavyweight debut against Carlos Takam on May 18 in Chicago.

Critically, that fight is shown by DAZN in the USA – offering a potential pathway to Joshua.