Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title defence against Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas, due to be on 24 July, looks set to be postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak in the champion’s camp. A number of positive tests are reported to have been recorded, with Fury’s US-based promoters Top Rank expected to clarify the situation later on Friday.
A court ruling in May forced Fury to ditch an immediate bout with Anthony Joshua and instead put his WBC title on the line in a third meeting with Wilder. Fury’s team hoped to resurrect his bout with Joshua later this year, but those plans are now set to be scuppered if the mandated meeting with Wilder is delayed.
Joshua, meanwhile, is set to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in London on 25 September.
Neither Fury nor Wilder has fought since February last year, when Fury scored a seventh-round knockout to end the American’s unbeaten record.
Fury’s team were not available for comment on Friday. In a statement on Thursday, when rumours of the positive test began to circulate, Top Rank told Sky Sports: “We continue to monitor the health status of Tyson and his team and the status of the event has not changed to date.”
Customers who had bought tickets to the event received notifications on Friday saying the fight has been postponed.