‘Zero hype’: Eddie Hearn casts doubt over Tyson Fury’s fight with Deontay Wilder

Fury is scheduled to defend his WBC heavyweight belt on 9 October in Las Vegas

Eddie Hearn is the promoter of Anthony Joshua (Getty)

Eddie Hearn has cast doubt over whether Tyson Fury’s trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder will go ahead on 9 October as planned.

The pair are scheduled to meet in Las Vegas for the WBC’s version of the heavyweight title, however, it remains unlikely British fans will be able to travel to the US.

Almost two years have passed since Fury knocked Wilder out in stunning fashion in their second fight and plans for an all-British undisputed bout against Anthony Joshua were scuppered by a court ruling insisting the ‘Gypsy King’ honours his contract for a third fight with Wilder.

Initially scheduled to take place on 24 July, though, that bout was then postponed after a Covid outbreak in Fury’s training camp.

Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said there has been “zero hype” around the Fury-Wilder fight and suggested the WBC should strip Fury of his belt if it’s delayed once again.

“Is that fight even happening?” Heard asked. “We are about to announce our next America show for 16 October and that’s only six weeks away and it’s tight but it’s not as big a card as Fury vs Wilder 3 should be.

“They have sold no tickets and there is absolutely zero hype around the fight. I am sure, if it happens, that people will turn on and watch it but no one is flying to Vegas. I reckon 75 per cent of the people that went to the second fight were Brits who had flown over and normal fans cannot do that now.”

If Joshua, who faces Oleksandr Usyk on 25 September, and Fury come through their bouts successfully, Hearn still hopes to make the long-anticipated undisputed heavyweight title fight. However, if Fury’s fight fails to come to fruition, the promoter will lobby the WBC to allow Dillian Whyte to challenge for the belt.

“I want [Fury-Wilder] to happen 100 per cent,” Hearn said. “I want a winner of that fight finally sorted so we can try again to make AJ’s undisputed fight. But if it doesn’t happen then the WBC have to finally put Fury into recess.

“Fury has not boxed since February 2020 and if he doesn’t box in October then it will be almost two years since that title was defended.

“I think he needs to fight because otherwise he needs to be stripped of the title or made champion-in-recess because Dillian Whyte has been sitting there as interim champion desperate and deserving of a shot.”