Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have verbally committed to a third fight, ESPN reported, days after an arbitration ruling halted fight talks between Fury and British champ Anthony Joshua.

After the independent arbitrator ruled Monday that WBC heavyweight champ Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) must face Wilder, plans for a unification fight between Fury and Joshua were put on hold, said ESPN citing multiple sources.

The Wilder and Fury fight could be held as early as July 24 in Las Vegas, the American sports broadcaster said, adding that August 14 has been set aside as a backup date.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum told ESPN he expects the contracts could be signed in the coming days. Fury would get 60 per cent of the purse with Wilder receiving the lower sum.

The heavyweights fought to a draw in 2018 and Fury earned a TKO victory to win the WBC heavyweight title in 2020.

The arbitrator ruled that Fury was contractually obligated to give Wilder a rematch, with retired judge Daniel Weinstein upholding a claim lodged by Wilder that Fury must face him in a third fight by Sept.15.

While the arbitrator’s ruling is not a formal court order, it will be deemed enforceable by courts if Wilder and Fury are unable to reach agreement.

Monday’s ruling came just a day after Fury announced he had agreed to fight Joshua on Aug.14 in Saudi Arabia, where the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts will be up for grabs.

Wilder’s camp had also argued their fighter had a contractual right to a third match.

But after delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic led to last July’s contest being postponed, Wilder’s team sought to move the bout to 2021.

Fury refused the 2021 date and said he would move on, prompting the mediation.

Neither Fury nor Wilder have fought since clashing in February 2020, when Fury outclassed the previously unbeaten American to win via a seventh-round technical knockout.

The two fighters had previously battled to an epic draw in 2018 at Staples Center Arena in Los Angeles after Fury survived a 12th round knockdown.

Fury, Joshua trade blows : With their fight in the balance, world heavyweight champions Joshua and Fury are trading blows on social media instead of the ring.

There was a back and forth between the English boxers over Twitter on Wednesday, prompted by Joshua calling Fury a ‘fraud’ because his rival might have to pull out of their Aug. 14 fight in following an unexpected ruling in the US.

An arbitrator has ruled that Fury is contractually bound to fulfil a third fight with Wilder, and that it has to take place by Sept.15.

“You’ve let Boxing down!” Joshua wrote directly to Fury. “You lied to the fans and led them on. Used my name for clout not a fight.

“Bring me any championship fighter who can handle their business correctly.”

Fury responded with an expletive-laden post, saying the arbitration was “out of my hands” and that Joshua knew it was going on in the background.

“But I tell you what,” Fury said, “if I’m a fraud let’s fight this weekend bare knuckles till 1 man quits? Let’s put up 20 mill each!!!”

Joshua then questioned why Fury would announce they were fighting - he did so in a video on Twitter on Sunday - if the arbitration was in process.

“If there was an arbitration going on, why announce to the world we are fighting!” Joshua said. “The fight was signed! UNDISPUTED.”

Fury replied that he would not go into the details of the arbitration over Twitter, and said: “I’ll smoke wilder first then you will get yours aswell.”

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has given Fury’s camp a deadline of the end of this week to salvage the fight. However, the prospect of it going ahead appears increasingly bleak.

Hearn is already looking into securing an alternative opponent for Joshua. That could be Oleksandr Usyk, the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO belt.

Agencies