Tyson Fury from Britain has tested positive for Covid-19, meaning his heavyweight title fight with Deontay Wilder is now moved to October 9th from its original July 24th date.
The fight for the world boxing title is still set for Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. Fury holds a strong professional record of 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts. Back in 2018, his first fight with Wilder ended in a draw, allowing Wilder to keep his championship status at the time.
The 33-year-old British fighter eventually claimed the World Boxing title by defeating Wilder in the seventh round, marking the first single loss for the American, who has 41 knockouts in a 42-1-1 record. Fury has been vocal about his dominance, stating he will crush Wilder and reclaim the WBC belt without hesitation. He promised a flawless performance and a knockout victory when they finally meet on October 9th.
Fury's original plan was to fight Anthony Joshua to become the undisputed champion, but he was bound by a rematch agreement with Wilder. This led arbitration judge Daniel Weinstein to rule in May that Fury must face Wilder again in Las Vegas. Wilder's manager, Shelly Finkel, noted that this decision was expected and that Wilder is determined to win back his title.
Back on November 12, 2012, it was announced that Fury would face American contender Kevin Johnson (28-3-1, 13 KOs) in a WBC title eliminator on December 1st at Belfast's Odyssey Arena. Later, on January 24, 2014, a fight was scheduled for February 15th at the Copper Box Arena against the experienced Argentine fighter Gonzalo Omar Basile (61-8, 27 KOs).
Unfortunately, Basile had to withdraw on February 5th due to a lung infection. He was replaced by American fighter Joey Abell (29-7, 28 KOs), whom Fury defeated via technical knockout in the fourth round. Following a hiatus, Fury announced on January 10, 2018, that he was applying for his license from the British Boxing Board of Council to return to the sport. By July 12, 2018, it was confirmed he would fight Francesco Pianeta (35-4-1, 21 KOs) on August 18th.