"We are waiting to see if the authorities in Macau will allow an event with full spectators"
Saturday 6 June 2020 12:05, UK
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s trilogy fight could take place in Macau, China, where investors are "ready to put the money up" to host the event, says promoter Bob Arum.
Australia and the new stadium owned by NFL franchise the Las Vegas Raiders are also under consideration for the WBC heavyweight championship fight which Arum is adamant will happen this year.
"When we postponed the fight in July we punted it to October," Top Rank's Arum, who represents Fury, told Sky Sports.
"I then called Fury and told him to forget about October. We'll try to do it in November or December. We are moving ahead.
"Maybe Macau which needs to attract customers and has tremendous protocols. They have had, for months now, no cases of coronavirus.
"There are six big casino properties in Macau.
"We've talked to them. They're ready to put up money for the Fury fight against Wilder in November or December.
"We are waiting to see if the authorities in Macau will allow an event with full spectators in November or December."
Macau, the autonomous region off the coast of China, has hosted fights promoted by Arum before. Manny Pacquiao twice fought there, as has Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Arum explained other options: "Our friends in Australia are talking about doing this fight, probably in Sydney. That's a possibility."
Arum previously promoted Pacquiao's fight against Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia.
Hope hasn't been lost for staging Fury vs Wilder III in the United States, where the previous two fights were held.
"Maybe we can do it with a full attendance at the new stadium in Vegas of the Raiders," Arum said. "Maybe we could do it with 20,000 or 30,000 people [later in the year]."
The Allegiant Stadium, the official name of the Raiders' new home, is a $1.8 billion venue with 65,000 seats that the NFL team will use from next season.
"I can't tell you where, but I'm pretty sure we'll get this event on in November or December," Arum said.
"We're not sleeping. We're working hard to get it done."
Fury and Wilder drew their first fight before the Brit brilliantly beat the American in their rematch. Wilder is contractually entitled to a third fight.
Fury told Sky Sports: "Heavyweight boxing takes one punch. Dismantle Deontay Wilder? It only takes one punch off Deontay Wilder.
"Still a very dangerous opponent, still a very hungry man, who is coming in there to prove his worth, to prove he can come back and become a two-time heavyweight champion.
"More dangerous than the last fight, for sure."
Wilder told Premier Boxing Champions' podcast: "In my eyes, I don't see Fury as a champion. He ain't the champion yet because we've still got one more fight left.
"People that know boxing know that it wasn't Deontay Wilder on that night. I was a zombie on that night."
On a third fight, Wilder said: "Why wouldn't I want it?"
