WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder 41-0-1 (40) has announced on social media he has signed on to fight Tyson Fury 27-0-1 (19) in a rematch.
The timing of the announcement comes as IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 22-0 (21) prepares to defend his unified crown against Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr 32-1 (21) at Madison Square Garden in New York this Saturday night.
Wilder, 33, revealed on Wednesday that his next title defence would come against Luis Ortiz 31-1 (26), likely in September, in a rematch of their competitive March 2018 encounter that saw the ‘Bronze Bomber’ emerge victorious with a 10th round knockout.
The decision to face Ortiz for a second time was labelled “embarrassing” by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.
Wilder and Fury battled to a disputed draw in Los Angeles last December in a fight that saw the self-style ‘Gypsy King’ dropped twice late in the fight – first in the ninth round, then again in the dramatic twelfth. Consensus opinion was that Fury had done enough throughout the first eight rounds of the fight to secure the victory.
In May Wilder knocked out Dominic Breazeale with a single right hand in the opening frame of their championship contest at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Wilder broke the news of his rematch with Fury on his social media accounts.
“Luis Ortiz is first then Tyson Fury next,” Wilder posted on Twitter, before adding in a separate tweet: “All contracts have been signed already?? It’s officially on.”
In another social media post Wilder wrote: “Well, as I always say I’m the realest champion in the business and as I’ve mentioned before I must handle all my controversial fights ASAP Luis Ortiz is first then Tyson Fury next.
“By no means am I looking past Ortiz, he’s a dangerous fighter, but I am looking through him (window shopping). Shid, I’m the best, ain’t no guess’n…what other champion give you what your miss’n?”
The 30-year-old Fury is scheduled to face little-known German Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on June 15.
Neither Fury nor anyone from his camp has confirmed the Wilder rematch.
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