PBC announces Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury, Dec. 1

According to a press release issued by Premier Boxing Champions, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) has finalized a deal to face former unified titleholder Tyson Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) on December 1st. The fight was announced as a pay-per-view event yet there was no network specifically mentioned, nor a venue for the fight.

ESPN sources suggest that’s because a venue hasn’t been finalized just yet, but that both the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas are being considered.

What was mentioned, however, is that Wilder and Fury will be embarking on an international press conference tour which will make stops in London, New York, and Los Angeles, although dates for those events weren’t specifically outlined at this time either.

Here’s what Deontay Wilder had to say about the fight on his Instagram page.

Fury, 30, who will be attempting to recapture a major world title after a two year hiatus and a couple of tune-ups, posted this message.

Wilder, 32, enters this fight with his confidence at an all-time high after besting Luis Ortiz earlier this year in an epic battle. He then entered into negotiations with unified titleholder Anthony Joshua to stage an undisputed heavyweight title unification, but that all collapsed for the time being, leaving both fighters to look elsewhere. Wilder in particular wasn’t happy about what he perceived to be bad faith negotiations on Joshua’s part.

Joshua will instead be defending his titles against Alexander Povetkin tomorrow, and this announcement on the evening before that fight would appear to be Wilder’s way of exacting a pound of flesh, stealing some of spotlight away from that fight.

We’ll provide more details on the Wilder-Fury fight as it becomes available...