Deontay Wilder exercises rematch clause, third bout with Tyson Fury will be held later this year
Only six days after he was stopped by Tyson Fury in seven shockingly one-sided rounds in their WBC/lineal heavyweight title fight, Deontay Wilder has exercised his rematch clause.
He’ll face Fury for a third time later this year, Top Rank president Todd duBoef confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The news of the agreement, which was delivered by Wilder’s team to Top Rank on Friday, was first reported by BT Sport.
Wilder had first told Yahoo Sports on Monday, when he said the weight of his ring walk costume deadened his legs, that he planned to exercise the clause, but his attorney made it official on Friday.
There has been no date set for the bout, though duBoef said it will be held in the summer.
Fury and Wilder first fought on Dec. 1, 2018, in a bout which was scored a split draw. It was a competitive, dramatic fight which Wilder nearly won by knockout in the 12th. He crushed Fury with a right, but Fury managed to get up to continue.
Wilder went off as a -135 favorite in the rematch, but he was never in the fight. Fury knocked him down in the third and again in the fifth and won every round until Wilder trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel in the seventh.
Wilder said he wasn’t sure he’d keep Breland as part of his team because he was upset by the stoppage, but on Friday, he released a statement in which he said he would continue to work with Breland.
Statement from @BronzeBomber on @MarkBreland pic.twitter.com/pmGiNfZROe
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) February 29, 2020
The loss was the first of Wilder’s career. He is 42-1-1 with 41 knockouts. Fury is now 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts.
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