LAS VEGAS — Well, if it ever was a secret, it ain’t anymore. Here, during the final countdown hours before Wilder-Fury II on Saturday night, the real possibility of yet a third Wilder-Fury fight has been negotiated. By contract, the loser of this fight that has yet to happen can demand yet another re-run.
Only in boxing.
It doesn’t matter how badly one of them might lose. If he wants to prolong the agony, he can demand they go again and take the short end of a 60-40 percent split. It’s his prerogative and it’s in the contract.
Across the pond in England, Anthony Joshua, the man who without debate is clearly the first- or second- or third-best heavyweight in the world, has become the odd man out. The only credentials he has at the moment are the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. That’s close to the whole alphabet when it comes to boxing. Wilder has the WBC championship but earlier negotiations between Joshua and the American broke down.
So, if Joshua isn’t the mandatory challenger-in-waiting, then who is?
That question appears to be a raging fire within the psyche of a man named Eddie Hearn, who is dedicated to fair play, equal opportunity and Anthony Joshua — not in that order. He has more than a nickel in this quarter.
Hearn is Joshua’s promoter. His basic thought is “if there is going to be Wilder-Fury III, then please get it over quickly.”
He felt as though Fury planned to meet his tiger next as part of a three-fight plan that would lead to Fury’s ultimate retirement. That, of course, may have slightly influenced him when he confidently proclaimed that Fury would win Saturday. But then with knowledge of the possibility of Fury-Wilder III, he had a change of heart.
“I’m picking Wilder,’’ he said before any microphone that was available. I’m hearing that there are problems in Fury’s training camp.”
Enter Bob Arum, who represents Fury.
“I don’t know what he’s hearing, but I’m here, I know everything,” Arum said. ” My guys are in every minute that I’m not in, so what the hell is he talking about? Eddie Hearn runs from the mouth.
“I’m sure he heard that from ‘somebody,’ Arum added. “You hear everything in boxing. But again, you have to be a little cautious about what you talk about and what to say. Who is this source? The guy who sweeps the gym? Eddie really has to grow up.”
Meanwhile, the final press conference for the fight that has yet to happen generated a five-minute stare-down that ended when they pushed each other, and security ran to the rescue. It’s hard to say who wrote the script for this one but the plot has been around since John L. Sullivan. They also spoke for the record. You have to do that when the object is to sell tickets.
They didn’t pull any punches in that department.
Wilder: “Don’t he dare to say that he got me into big-time boxing. If he does, I’ll slap him.
“Don’t you ever forget that when I found you, you were strung out on coke. You were like a big house, contemplating killing yourself. Don’t you ever forget who brought you to big-time boxing. I brought you back, dragged you back, I put food on your table for your family to eat and I’m doing it again for a second time. I’m the one who sells the pay-per-view and tickets. They come to see me.”
Fury: “And that’s the man you take on? A man thinking about killing himself? You thought you were getting an easy victory, didn’t you? Well, it didn’t work out. I came back and kicked your arse all over.”
Wilder: “I will put you in permanent retirement. Don’t worry about that.”
Fury: “This is a big act for him. I can see his heart beating through his jumper. He is terrified of getting knocked out.”
It wasn’t Patrick Henry standing before the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1775, pounding his chest and hollering, “Give me liberty or give me death!’’ It was more like H.L. Mencken, the great newspaper columnist, reminding his readers that “nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
No matter what the contract says, this fight damned well better be fantastic to honor it for Wilder-Fury III. They can fight, but three times?
They aren’t Ali and Frazier.
