DEONTAY WILDER could be handed over £14MILLION by Tyson Fury’s team in order for his bout with Anthony Joshua to go ahead.
The Gypsy King’s undisputed dust-up to face his British rival in August is in serious jeopardy after he was ordered to fight the Bronze Bomber for a third time.
After being dethroned by the unbeaten Mancunian in February, the former WBC heavyweight champion was eligible to invoke a third meeting against Fury.
But injuries and the coronavirus pandemic delayed the fight, with Team Fury claiming in October that the contract for a trilogy had expired.
However, a US judge has now decided, following an arbitration, that Wilder is legally due a third fight that must happen by September 15.
According to the Daily Mail, the American knockout specialist could be handed a step-aside fee of more than £14m, with Fury’s team confident an agreement can be reached.
With Fury’s potential fight against AJ to be worth around £200m, it has been said that handing over an eight-figure sum to Wilder is an expensive hit worth taking.
Speaking to the news outlet, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said: “The arbitrator ruled in Deontay Wilder’s favour and that means he has ordered the rematch to take place.
“We obviously have to try to reach some accommodation with Wilder. If we can’t then Tyson has got to make a decision on whether he wants to fight him or not.”
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Asked whether the priority is sorting out a bout between Fury and Joshua is the priority, he remarked: “Absolutely. That is what everyone wants, what the public wants, we all want to see it.
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“But at the moment we have to deal with Wilder one way or another. We will work hard to make it happen to keep the fight on.
“He will have to be satisfied. We will have to have to satisfy him, and if it is a settlement he will want paying for it, no doubt about that.”
Though Top Rank promoter Bob Arum – who handles the affairs of Fury in the US – has stated that the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas has been reserved for July 24.
He told ESPN: “We’re not paying Wilder to step aside. It’s better to get rid of him and go about our business.
“We can make the Fury-Joshua fight for November or December.”
