11 November 2020

Fury’s UK homecoming in doubt after Wilder triggers ‘dispute resolution’ in bid to secure trilogy fight

Tyson Fury’s homecoming fight in the UK in December has been put in doubt after the revelation that Deontay Wilder is planning to enforce a third fight.

Fury’s team have said Wilder’s contractual right to a trilogy bout expired and they are therefore able to take on a different opponent at the end of the year.

But The Athletic reported yesterday that Wilder’s side have ‘initiated the dispute resolution provision’ in the contract in a bid to stop Fury fighting anyone but Wilder next.

Mediation is expected to begin this week, with a retired judge receiving the contracts which were drawn up for their second fight back in February.

The judge will also preside over binding arbitration and it is likely that once the decision is made it will not be eligible for an appeal.

Fury beat Wilder via seventh round stoppage at the beginning of 2020, dominating him from the first bell as he put to bed the controversial draw from their first clash back in December 2018.

It was expected that the pair would then face each other again in the second half of the year, but both sides failed to reach an approved date and Fury’s team eventually announced they were moving on.

The Gypsy King’s promoter Bob Arum then revealed they were planning for Fury to box against an unnamed opponent in the UK on December 5, with a victory likely leading to two fights against fellow Brit Anthony Joshua next year.

It was widely reported that Agit Kayabel was the front runner to face Fury next month as the German had been sent a contract for the fight.

But that timeline could now be in jeopardy if Wilder wins the dispute and is granted a third bout with Fury.

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