Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury may be heading to Las Vegas on Feb. 22, 2020, with reports claiming that the T-Mobile Arena will likely host the event. According to World Boxing News, the date is locked in, that is if Fury recovers from the cuts he received from his recent fight with Otto Wallin, in which he won.
After Wallin targeted Fury's face with scrapes and blows, The Gypsy King needed 47 stitches. Wallin sure did leave a lot of wounds starting at round three.
Shelly Finkel, Wilder's co-manager, was asked whether the rematch should be postponed due to injuries Fury sustained, the New Yorker simply shrugged it off and said: "Fury should be fine."
However, Fury's recovery could potentially postpone the match early next year, at least according to Steve Bunce, who covered the event for BBC Radio 5 Live and BT Sport. According to the reporter, it could be a touch and go for Fury to make it in time.
"If the cuts require some plastic surgery that's a good couple of months of doing absolutely nothing, Bunce said." "February 22 requires that you're in training camp in early December and we're already in the middle of September."
"It's quite thin lines plus a fight like this will take a big man like Tyson Fury an awful long time to let his body recover."
It's possible that Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II will be pushed to March or April, depending on Fury's progress. But that's only after Luis Ortiz faces Wilder in November.
According to WBN, staging Wilder's upcoming fight and Fury's last two bouts in Nevada is a strategy to keep people interested for the second match. Las Vegas has always been the home of significant boxing matches, but this time, it's the T-Mobile Arena that gets to host and not at the usual MGM Grand.
Regarding the rematch, Wilder says he is confident he'll knock Fury out before the end. If the payday for Fury is the ultimate goal for him, and his promoters at Top Rank, then he should face Wilder on February 22. The fight will make a lot of money, and Fury can live well even if he gets smashed to bits by Wilder.
Before all of that, however, Wilder has to take the stage with Ortiz. It may be a good thing if Fury finds himself unable to fight by February. Contracts are reportedly pointing toward an early 2020 date, but its likely Fury will be asking for an extension.
