Tyson Fury is coming to Top Rank Boxing and ESPN.
The former unified heavyweight champion has signed a multi-year co-promotional deal with Top Rank and ESPN. The deal calls for a minimum of two fights per year taking place in the United States.
"I’m delighted that Frank and Queensberry Promotions have teamed up with Top Rank to promote my fights in America,” Fury said in a press release sent to Fightful. “With ESPN and BT Sport behind me, the biggest sports platforms in the world are now linked up with the best heavyweight in the world!”
The news comes out of left field as Fury, still promoted by Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions, is in the middle of negotiations with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. The WBC recently delayed a purse bid for this week for the fight as the two sides were seemingly close to a deal.
With Fury going to ESPN, it could potentially hurt the chances of a rematch happening given that Wilder fights for Premier Boxing Champions, who has broadcast deals with Showtime and Fox. The first fight between Wilder and Fury, which resulted in a split draw last December, was shown on pay-per-view produced by Showtime in the United States.
Fury won the unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles in 2015 with an upset win over Wladimir Klitschko. After that win, Fury had been out of the ring for nearly three years after failing a drug test and retiring from the sport entirely. Since his return starting last summer, Fury won two of his last three fights with the fight against Wilder being the lone draw. In related Tyson Fury news, the latest WBO rankings have Fury ranked in the top five at heavyweight.
