Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury to meet on PPV on Dec. 1 in heavyweight title showdown

The future of the heavyweight division will be abundantly clear on the morning of Dec. 2.

WBC champion Deontay Wilder will face linear champion Tyson Fury in a battle of unbeatens in a pay-per-view showdown on Dec. 1. The site has not been determined, but will likely be either Las Vegas or Los Angeles. The bout will come on the heels of Saturday’s IBF-WBA-WBO heavyweight title fight in London between Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin that will be streamed live on DAZN.

The Wilder-Fury winner will be the linear heavyweight champion and will be poised for a big-money unification bout next year with the Joshua-Povetkin winner.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder, who is 40-0 with 39 knockouts, will be fighting an opponent who is taller than him for the first time. Fury, who is 27-0 with 19 knockouts, is 6-9 with an 85-inch reach.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight,” Wilder said. “It’s going to be an explosive fight. It’s going to be a fight for the legacy. It’s going to be a pleasure, the two best heavyweights competing against each other. I just beat, in my opinion, one of the best heavyweights in Luis Ortiz, and now I’m going for the next best in the heavyweight division.”

Fury won the undisputed belt when he upset Wladmir Klitschko in 2015. He had a series of personal problems after the Klitschko win and didn’t fight again until June 9, when he stopped Sefer Seferi in the fourth round in Manchester, England. Fury’s last bout was a unanimous decision over Francesco Pianeta on Aug. 18 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Wilder hasn’t fought since a dramatic come-from-behind stoppage victory over Ortiz in March.

Wilder spent much of the year after his win over Ortiz trying to land a fight with Joshua, though it never gained much momentum. But the Wilder-Fury winner will have the WBC belt and be the linear champion, which will give him that much more leverage in talks for the undisputed title.

“We’re two big talkers and that is what’s going to make this promotion fun and attract the hardcore fans and the casual fans,” Wilder said. “All the talking he does lets me know that he has confidence. He says he’s coming to take my belts. I can’t wait for him to try. I love it.”