Fury Signs With Top Rank, ESPN; Wilder Rematch In Jeopardy

[oogiebe]

Oh please not this! We all will be extremely disappointed and pissed off!

Tyson Fury has shaken up the heavyweight division again.

The unbeaten British star stunned viritually everyone in boxing with an announcement early Monday morning that he and promoter allegedly have signed a multi-fight, co-promotional agreement with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. and ESPN. BS.com has been informed by multiple sources that Fury’s partnership with ESPN and Top Rank does not necessarily mean he won’t fight Deontay Wilder in a heavyweight championship rematch May 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

It does complicate matters, however, as Fury and Wilder might be forced to take lower-profile fights as Arum, Al Haymon, ESPN and Showtime figure out how to put together a deal to distribute their pay-per-view rematch.

Negotiations nearly were finalized for Fury (27-0-1, 19 KOs) and Wilder (40-0-1, 39 KOs) to fight again May 18 before ESPN issued a press release early on the morning of a national holiday in the United States to announce Fury’s new deal.

Showtime, which distributed the first pay-per-view bout between Wilder and Fury on December 1, could work in conjunction with ESPN to distribute their rematch. ESPN’s enormous reach both on television and the Internet would help make their immediate rematch even bigger than their 12-round fight 2½ months ago.

Or, unfortunately for boxing fans, Fury’s new deal with ESPN and Top Rank could lead to Wilder and Fury facing different opponents next. Delaying their rematch would further fracture the heavyweight division because it would mean that boxing’s top three heavyweights – Wilder, Fury and Anthony Joshua – won’t fight one another anytime soon.

Full Article:
https://www.BS.com/fury-signs- ... dy--136375

[marvelous marv]

They are still saying it is going to be on.

[Contendeh]

I would be shocked if Wilder v Fury 2 is the next fight now that this has been announced.
Next now will be a lesser fighter and a lesser fight to 1. Build Tyson’s brand for ESPN and 2. Get some easier money on their investment.
Fury v Takam or some such seems much more likely.
Best case for the rematch would be within a year.

[Eolaithe]

Apart from Bryant Jennings and Joseph Parker, what other heavyweights does Top Rank work with? We’re not going to see Tyson Fury engage in bouts against fellow Queensberry stablemates like Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman.

Fury and ESPN will need to work with the Showtime/Fox and/or DAZN in order to televise fights against big name opposition, otherwise Tyson isn’t worth the $100m+ price tag.

[lillywhite14]

Fury doesn’t do risk unless it’s for decent reward. If he’s manoeuvred himself out of the rematch for whatever reason, he’ll be fighting sub standard opposition, make no mistake.

There won’t be any talk of Ortiz, Povetkin or even Usyk.

Takam, Chisora, Breazele and the likes will be as risky as it gets.

[joshj909]

Surely there are clauses in exclusive contracts that allow for when they lose a purse bid otherwise fighters would never become champions or they'd be underpaid forever? If this is the case then the rematch won't be in jeopardy as it was mandated.

EDIT: just read the bit about renegotiating the rematch in the OP. Either a smart or stupid move from Fury, we'll see how it plays out. Wilder v Kownacki and Fury v Chisora III is my prediction before the rematch then.

[KiwiRider]

Aww maaan
Just what the HW division needs, more d*cking around.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[jamamb]

ill guess rematch not happening , at least not immediately

i know some on furys team didnt want it either

[gilgamesh]

Personally I'd be fine with the rematch happening a year or so down the line instead of immediately anyway. I'd like to see both of them fight AJ first before rematching each other.

I wouldn't fault Fury or Wilder for taking an easier one next time out either given the tension of their bout with each other, and the near loss scare it resulted in for both of them.

Might mean Wilder goes on and smashes Breazeale or whatever, but then again Breazeale was supposed to be in talks to fight Whyte so who knows.

[Eolaithe]

I'd be happy with this, if Wilder-Fury can't be made
Whyte-Breazeale
Parker-Chisora
Joshua-Miller
Usyk-Povetkin
Wilder-Kownacki (both PBC)
Fury-Pulev (both with Top Rank)

[HomicideHenry]

I never saw the point in having a rematch. The public consensus by majority felt Fury beat Wilder, etc. Just because a fight was exciting--- doesn't in my mind at least, warrant a return bout.

Myself personally--- I'd like to see Fury vs Whyte or even Fury vs Ortiz next. Those are great substitute fights. Let Wilder go after Joshua and the winner can fight Fury in Las Vegas in 2020.

[joshj909]

Kownacki it is then.

[SenorPipino]

Kownacki it is then.

That should be a blowout.

Kownascki would struggle to beat Butterbean.

[Boxing101101]

great more waiting

[The Asleep Lamps]

great more waiting

Yeah really we need to move things along here.

[Boxing101101]

great more waiting

Yeah really we need to move things along here.

yep and if Fury Wilder don't happen next then Wilder should just go for the undisputed fight

[ewenhay]

Disappointing if the rematch doesn't happen next. These guys have a chance to shake up the division and build on the momentum generated from their first fight.

Going back to treading water makes them just as bad as the Matchroom camp.

[ewenhay]

Disappointing if the rematch doesn't happen next. These guys have a chance to shake up the division and build on the momentum generated from their first fight.

Going back to treading water makes them just as bad as the Matchroom camp.

[The Asleep Lamps]

great more waiting

Yeah really we need to move things along here.

yep and if Fury Wilder don't happen next then Wilder should just go for the undisputed fight

Is Joshua vs Miller already a done deal? Joshua vs Fury is the fight that I wanted as I considered Fury the people's champion, not to mention his lineal claim.

[SenorPipino]

great more waiting

Yeah really we need to move things along here.

yep and if Fury Wilder don't happen next then Wilder should just go for the undisputed fight

Is Joshua vs Miller already a done deal? Joshua vs Fury is the fight that I wanted as I considered Fury the people's champion, not to mention his lineal claim.

Must be a done deal.

Tickets are already on sale at MSG.

[Perseus]

Kownacki it is then.

That should be a blowout.

Kownascki would struggle to beat Butterbean.

Arum already finding excuses to skip the rematch.
NOW he says September makes sense but by early summer he will say they don't want to compete with marquee college football night games and it makes sense to push it out to 2020.
Fury/Wilder 2 is dead in the water.

[tiny_acres]

Kownacki it is then.

That should be a blowout.

Kownascki would struggle to beat Butterbean.

Arum already finding excuses to skip the rematch.
NOW he says September makes sense but by early summer he will say they don't want to compete with marquee college football night games and it makes sense to push it out to 2020.
Fury/Wilder 2 is dead in the water.

I think we won't see this or either vs Joshua in the next 18 months

[Best Coast]

Kownacki it is then.

That should be a blowout.

Kownascki would struggle to beat Butterbean.

Arum already finding excuses to skip the rematch.
NOW he says September makes sense but by early summer he will say they don't want to compete with marquee college football night games and it makes sense to push it out to 2020.
Fury/Wilder 2 is dead in the water.

I think we won't see this or either vs Joshua in the next 18 months

That would be a real letdown.

[Eolaithe]

Fury and Wilder's handlers are still negotiating the terms of their rematch. If the money is there, the fight will be made.