The two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to his bout against Deontay Wilder which had to be pushed back. Wilder believed that Fury never contracted COVID but ‘The Gypsy King’ had assured that he had tested positive for the virus toward the end of an intense training camp for another WBC heavyweight title fight with Wilder that was supposed to take place July 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This marked the second time, according to Fury, that he battled COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020. Deontay Wilder ‘Proves’ Tyson Fury Lied About Illness
Tyson Fury’s team never provided medical documents to Wilder’s camp
BoxingScene.com recently reported that Fury’s team never provided medical documentation of a failed COVID test early in July to anyone that represents Wilder in an official capacity or the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Wilder’s team didn’t demand that Fury’s representatives provide proof of his failed COVID test, however, and Fury was not required to submit such medical documentation to the NSAC once their ESPN/FOX Sports pay-per-view fight was postponed two and half months, from July 24 to Saturday night.
Bob Bennett, executive director of the NSAC, told BoxingScene.com in reference to the postponed July 24 event:
“To the best of my recollection, the NSAC did not receive any documentation from the fighters that were scheduled to fight on the Fury-Wilder card. Additionally, none of our ringside physicians administered a lab-based PCR test to any of the fighters on the Fury-Wilder card.”
Evan Korn, a spokesman for Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., Fury’s co-promoter informed BoxingScene.com that Fury failed a COVID test administered early in July by Critical Mass Gathering Medicine PLLC, which has been contracted to conduct COVID tests for fighters on Top Rank cards since June 2020. One of the NSAC’s physicians, Dr. David Obert, is a managing member of Critical Mass Gathering Medicine PLLC, but Obert didn’t administer Fury’s COVID test.
Tom Brown, the president of TGB Promotions, which represents Wilder could not be reached for comment related to Fury’s failed COVID-19 test early in July. Tim Smith, a spokesman for Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, with which Wilder also is affiliated had declined comment.
Wilder stated during a recent episode of “The PBC Podcast” that he believes Fury faked having COVID-19 to buy more time to prepare for their third fight.
“I can’t control what they’re doing on their side,” Wilder told co-hosts Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal. “I can’t control whether this is a lie or it’s the truth. You know what I’m saying? Because I don’t believe none of it, nothing that they’ve done. Anybody that’s been trying to run since July, anybody that’s paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to not fight, you can’t believe that person. You know? They trying to run away from it – I’m running to it. When it’s like that, you can’t believe nothing. You know, and honestly, I don’t believe he had no COVID. You know, look at his actions. Look at what he’s done. Been at different places and stuff like that. He definitely don’t act like it.”
Fury and Wilder are set to collide on Saturday, October 9.
