Notebook: Fury-Wilder III deal being wrapped up following arbitrator's ruling

Joshua-Usyk update, Rafael/Davies video chats; 'The Kings' trailer; Quick hits

Get ready for the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder trilogy fight.

With Wilder winning his arbitration case against Fury on Monday seeking to force a third fight based on language in the contract from their February 2020 rematch and Fury not interested in even trying to negotiate paying Wilder a hefty step-aside fee, Fury’s planned Aug. 14 undisputed heavyweight championship fight with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia is off.

Instead, the Fury and Wilder camps are finalizing plans for them to meet for the third time, tentatively July 24 in Las Vegas with Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena and the MGM Grand Garden Arena (site of last year’s rematch) all possible sites, sources with knowledge of the talks told Fight Freaks Unite.

According to sources, the deal for the fight is agreed to in principle, which was not too difficult to work out once both sides agreed to do the fight. That is because the general terms for the bout, including a 60-40 financial advantage in Fury’s favor because he won the last fight, were already established in the contract overseeing the February 2020 bout in which Fury stopped Wilder in the seventh round to retain the lineal title and take Wilder’s WBC belt.

Rivals Bob Arum, the Top Rank chairman and Fury’s co-promoter, and Wilder co-manager Al Haymon spoke by telephone on Wednesday to go over the details, sources with knowledge of the conversation said.

The paperwork is in the process of being finalized and the fight, which like the rematch would be a joint pay-per-view between Fury broadcaster ESPN and Wilder broadcaster Fox, is expected to be formally announced in the coming days.

Arum declined to discuss the plans but did express his disappointment in the binding arbitration ruling made by retired judge Daniel Weinstein.

England’s Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs), 32, and Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs), 35, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, fought to a disputed draw in their first showdown in December 2018 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. When they met in a rematch in February 2020 it was the first fight of a two-fight deal under which the loser had the contractual right to an immediate third bout. Fury dominated Wilder and days later Wilder exercised his right to a third fight.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic raging and crowds unable to attend a fight that generated nearly $17 million in ticket sales for the rematch — a Nevada heavyweight record — proposed dates in July and the fall were put off. Fury and Top Rank contended that the date by which the third fight had to take place had expired and they began the long negotiation for an undisputed title fight with three-belt titlist Joshua. Wilder pursued his contractual remedy of mediation over the situation and when that did not produce a resolution he took the next contractual remedy, which was binding arbitration that went in his favor.

The arbitration ruling came out just one day after Fury proclaimed in a social media video that all of the issues related to his deal to fight Joshua had finally been worked out. Now, he and Joshua will have to win interim fights before they can meet for the undisputed title. With Fury-Joshua sidetracked by the arbitration ruling, Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs), 31, of England, likely is instead headed to an overdue mandatory WBO defense against former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), 34, of Ukraine, in August.

Speaking of Usyk…

Usyk had agreed to step aside to allow Fury-Joshua to take place, but once the arbitration ruling was final, he pressed his rights as Joshua’s mandatory challenger and the WBO ordered Joshua’s team to show the organization a reason why it shouldn’t immediately order Joshua-Usyk.

The WBO set Friday as the deadline for Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing to “show cause” why it shouldn’t order Joshua-Usyk.

However, Hearn emailed the WBO and others involved on Friday seeking an extension until Monday.

“Obviously, a lot has happened in the last few days and I would like the opportunity to sit face to face with Anthony and his entire team to make some important decisions for his career,” Hearn wrote in the email. “This is due to happen this weekend. In the circumstances, we would ask for a short extension until Monday to address the WBO’s show cause request. It will give me a chance to clarify our position on this and understand how Anthony would like to proceed with a number of issues. We are obviously very grateful for the WBO’s patience on this matter and respectful of the other affected parties.

“Just to confirm, we would send our correspondence to you prior to 9 am ET Monday.”

Team Usyk made its plea to the WBO not accept Hearn’s request for the extension, even though it apparently will be allowed.

“Attorneys (at least this one) wish to be courteous and not object to reasonable extensions,” Usyk attorney Patrick English wrote in response. “The key word here is ‘reasonable’. At this point additional extensions are not reasonable. The WBO has granted extension after extension to Mr. Hearn and Mr. Joshua. These extensions are outlined and objected to in prior correspondence by my colleague, John Hornewer.

“Nothing here is complex. Mr. Usyk has rights which, till now, have not been honored. It is time that this cease. There is nothing complex here. Mr. Joshua can go forward and defend his title in the mandatory or suffer the consequences of losing that title. If we were representing him we would recommend the former, but that is his choice at this point.

“It is my understanding that Mr. Hearn and Mr. Joshua are both in England. It would have been a simple matter for them to meet this week. It is my experience that telephones and emails work quite well in England, so conferring should not have been a problem. They even have zoom and face time. There has to be a point where extensions stop. That should, we urge, be now.”

Rafael and Davies chats

It’s been ages since my good pal Gareth Davies from the Telegraph in the U.K. and I did a video chat but with taped two of them this week. In one we discussed at length the Fury/Wilder/Joshua situation. In the second one we did an in-depth preview of Saturday’s fantastic match between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor for the undisputed junior welterweight title and reminisced about the great Sugar Ray Leonard, who turned 65 this week.

“The Kings” trailer

On Friday, Showtime released the trailer for its upcoming four-part documentary “The Kings” that promises an in-depth look at the 1980s rivalry between boxing’s “four kings” — Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns. They all faced each other in a total of nine fights between 1980 and 1989 in events that captivated the sports world.

More than 30 years later their fights are still watched over and over and discussed and debated among fight fans.

To say I am extremely excited to see the documentary is a massive understatement given that I have obsessed over their fights for decades and there never has been an all-encompassing documentary made about the rivalry, although I have read several times the fantastic 2008 book “Four Kings” about their series of fights written by my old pal the late, great George Kimball.

Showtime’s documentary series debuts on June 6. The trailer is great.

Catterall gets Ramirez-Taylor winner

Junior welterweight mandatory challenger Jack Catterall expects to face the winner of the Saturday night’s undisputed world championship fight between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor.

He is Ramirez’s WBO mandatory and stepped aside to allow Ramirez-Taylor to be finalized. He is in Las Vegas to watch the fight from ringside at the Virgin Hotels

“It is a massive fight. Hopefully, it is a good fight and I can let everyone know I’m serious about fighting the winner,” Catterall said of his reason for making the trip. “I will do some training, sparring and ultimately watch the fight. After the weekend we will have a clear direction of where we’re going. I stepped aside on the promise that I will get the winner and I am under no illusion because anything can happen, but ultimately I have allowed them to create this big undisputed title fight. I have beaten everyone in front of me, done everything asked of me on my side.”

Catterall (26-0, 13 KOs), 27, a southpaw from England, is rooting for Taylor in the hopes of setting up an England versus Scotland showdown. Catterall also said he doubts that if Ramirez wins he will actually get into the ring with him.

“I hope Josh wins and hope he is a man of his word,” Catterall said. “It’s been talked about Taylor having a homecoming fight at Edinburgh Castle and I am bang up for the challenge. I could be wrong and I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think Ramirez will give me an opportunity. I think he probably has other plans. Taylor has publicly thanked me for stepping aside and allowing this big fight to happen. Hopefully, he can get the job done and we can get it on.

“I have been very patient and it’s been a long time coming, but I will be getting my crack. I’ve said it from the start, I think Taylor wins. Ramirez has improved, but is one dimensional. He has a big heart, will come forward but he is up against a southpaw mover. He will face problems.”

Quick hits

Weights from Las Vegas for Saturday night’s Top Rank on ESPN card at the Virgin Hotels: Jose Ramirez 139.6 pounds, Josh Taylor 139. 6 (for the undisputed junior welterweight title); Jose Zepeda 140, Hank Lundy 139; Elvis Rodriguez 139.8, Kenneth Sims Jr. 139.8; Louie Coria 127.5, Jose Enrique Vivas 127.4; Andres Cortes 132.2, Eduardo Garza 132.5; Robeisy Ramirez 126.6; Ryan Lee Allen 125.4; Raymond Muratalla 137, Jose Gallegos 139.6; Javier Martinez 162.5, Calvin Metcalf 160.4.

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Golden Boy Promotions announced on Friday that the venue for its July 9 card on DAZN will take place at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The show is headlined by light heavyweight contender and former super middleweight titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs) against longtime contender Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs) with lightweight contender Javier Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) taking on former junior lightweight titlist Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (31-1-1, 15 KOs).

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Former super middleweight and middleweight titlist Felix Sturm (41-5-3, 18 KOs), 42, who exited a nearly five-year retirement in December 2020 and has won his two comeback fights, and German countryman and former super middleweight titlist Vincent Feigenbutz (32-3, 28 KOs), 25, have a deal for a fall fight that will be a big deal in their country. However, first they must each win interim bouts on June 19 in Hamburg. Sturm faces James Kraft (19-0-1, 10 KOs), 24, of Germany, and Feigenbutz will face an opponent to be determined on the Universum card.

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Promoter Lou DiBella announced he has signed heavyweight hopeful Michael Pirotton-Bamogo (4-0, 2 KOs), 24, of Belgium, to a multi-year promotional agreement. He is managed by Michael Amoo-Bediako, who DiBella has worked with on other fighters, including former lightweight titlist Richard Commey. Pirotton-Bamogo’s next fight is scheduled for May 29 against Croatia’s Igor Mihaljevic in Belgium. After that, Pirotton-Bamogo plans to relocate to Southern California in June to train under Manny Robles. “I’ve watched tapes of Michael’s fights and can’t wait to start working with him in the United States,” DiBella said. “He’s a work in progress, but he’s a very handsome, marketable young man with the skill set and work ethic to become a big player in the heavyweight division.”

Show and tell

With the news that there will be a third fight between heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former titlist Deontay Wilder this summer, it means it will be Wilder’s second shot at heavyweight title. The first time came on Jan. 17, 2015 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in his first fight with then-WBC titlist Bermane Stiverne. I covered the fight at ringside as Wilder dominated en route to a one-sided unanimous decision. It was the first time Wilder, a devastating puncher of historical proportions, had ever been forced to go the distance. Wilder would go on to make 10 successful defenses before being knocked out by Fury in their rematch 15 months ago. Here’s a scarce Showtime poster from Wilder-Stiverne I in my collection.

Wilder-Fury II photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank