(Reuters) – Tyson Fury says he expects Deontay Wilder to take up the option of a rematch of their heavyweight championship bout but is ready for fellow Briton Anthony Joshua if the American declines.
Boxing – Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury – WBC Heavyweight Title – The Grand Garden Arena at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, United States – February 22, 2020 Tyson Fury poses with his belts during a press conference after the fight REUTERS/Steve Marcus
Speaking after his seventh-round TKO victory over Wilder in Las Vegas on Saturday, Fury sounded happy to take on either man.
“I had a great and worthy dance partner in Deontay Wilder and I’m sure we’re going to do it again,” Fury told Behind The Gloves at the MGM Grand Arena.
“If Deontay don’t want the rematch then let’s go A.J.,” Fury added, referring to Joshua.
Fury (30-0-1) retained his lineal crown and took the WBC crown from Wilder (42-1-1), though Joshua holds the rest of the belts in the division.
A fight between the pair would unify the belts but the mouth-watering, all-British match-up might have to wait for a Fury-Wilder trilogy to be completed instead.
The first fight between Fury and Wilder in December 2018 was called a draw.
Wilder now has 30 days to decide whether to exercise his option of a third fight with the Gypsy King.
Impressive as Fury’s performance was on Saturday, he said it did not compare to his 2015 takedown of Wladimir Klitschko.
“Nothing will ever be bigger than my Wladimir Klitschko win because that was my first championship ring,” Fury said.
“I was 7/1 underdog when I beat Klitschko in Germany. Tonight people expected me to win. It was a 50-50 fight going in.”
Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; editing by Clare Fallon