Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder: how to watch the world heavyweight title rematch
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will go toe to toe once more after thier first bout left everyone eager for more.
Here's everything you need to know.
What happened in the first fight?
Plagued by mental health issues and consequently struggling with alcohol, drugs and extreme weight gain, Tyson Fury had to relinquish his WBO, WBA and IBO titles in 2016.
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Hide AdHe was declared “medically unfit” to fight and spent the next two years out of the game.
He made his return to the ring in 2018, easily seeing off both Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta, and gradually shedding weight and re-sharpening his skills over the course of the two fights.
On 1 December 2018, Fury took his third fight that year, battling it out with The Bronze Bomber, Deontay Wilder for the American's WBC heavyweight title.
The fight went all 12 rounds, with both Wilder putting Fury on the canvas in both the ninth and final rounds.
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Hide AdWhen he went down for the second time, the “Gypsy King” appeared to be completely finished, only for him to spring up before the count, leaving Wilder visibly shocked.
In spite of the knockdowns, many believed that Fury had done enough to win the bout on points, his unorthodox style having left Wilder swinging at air for much of the fight.
However, the judges disagreed and the match was scored as a draw, with both men claiming victory in the post-fight interviews.
Around 325,000 viewers in the US alone paid for the fight, which grossed some $24 million, making it the most lucrative heavyweight bout since John Ruiz took on Roy Jones Jr back in 2003.
When is the re-match?
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Hide AdAfter such an exciting and successful fight ended so ambiguously, it was only a matter of time before the two men would be drawn back together.
Billed as “Unfinished Business”, the re-match will take place on Saturday 22 February 2020.
The fight will once again be held in Las Vegas, at the fabled MGM Grand. This means it should begin sometime between 4am and 5am over in the UK, depending on how the undercard matches go
The re-match will see Wilder's WBC title on the line, as well as The Ring Magazine's belt – which Fury was stripped of back in 2018.
Where can I watch it?
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Hide AdThe match will be broadcast live on BT Sport Box Office and will cost £24.95.
Coverage will begin at midnight and the full card for the night is as follows:
- Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury (Heavyweight)
- Charles Martin vs Gerald Washington (Heavyweight)
- Emanuel Navarrete vs Jeo Santisima (Super-Bantamweight)
- Sebastian Fundora vs Daniel Lewis (Super-Welterweight)
- Subriel Matias vs Petros Ananyan (Super-Lightweight)
- Amir Imam vs Javier Molina (Super-Lightweight)
- Rolando Romero vs Arturs Ahmetovs (Lightweight)
- Gabriel Flores Jr vs Matt Conway (Lightweight)
- Vito Mielnicki Jr vs Corey Champion (Welterweight)
- Isaac Lowe vs Alberto Guevara (Featherweight)
What have the fighters said?
Neither boxer is known for mincing his words and both have been in typically bombastic form ahead of their latest clash.
Relishing his return to Las Vegas, Fury told TalkSPORT that he is expecting a “clean-cut knockout” which he'll aim to land early on in the night so that “we can all go out and get drunk!”
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Hide AdWilder has also backed himself to lend the match a more definitive ending this time around:
“Then I give them what they all come for – the knockouts, and my knockouts have been amazing. I proved myself the first time and I’m ready to do it again. It was a very controversial fight. I promise my fans that there won’t be any controversy with this one. I’m going to finish it.”