Tyson Fury pledges to crack Deontay Wilder’s skull rather than pay American £14million not to fight

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Tyson Fury has pledged to crack Deontay Wilder’s skull in a third fight before facing Anthony Joshua after the American reportedly requested £14million to step aside for the all-British showdown.

A judge in an arbitration hearing ruled on Monday night that Fury would have to face Wilder by September 15, throwing a spanner in the works with regards to his planned heavyweight unification fight against Joshua in Saudi Arabia on August 14.

The Fury and Joshua camps had been confident that Wilder could be handed a financial remuneration package to walk away but WBC champion Fury now says that Wilder is asking for too much.

Posting a message on Instagram, Fury said that Wilder had “asked for $20m [£14m] to move over. Looks like I will have to crack his skull again”.

In Pictures | Tyson Fury

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But Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott rejected the barbs from the British heavyweight and said that Wilder had “declined [the money] and had no interest in step-aside money”. Scott added of his charge, “He wants blood and not step-aside money. Retribution is upon us.”

Fury has not fought since knocking out Wilder in the pair’s second bout in February last year to be awarded the WBC belt, while Joshua had a successful title defence against Kubrat Pulev in London back in December.

Fury’s American promoter, Bob Arum, had previously suggested Fury would meet Wilder for a third time and that Fury-Joshua would be rescheduled for November/December.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO belt, is being lined up as a potential interim fight for Joshua.

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