Bob Arum On Fury-Chisora Happening Next- “Of Course Not!”

On Tuesday, WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury made a couple of social media videos suggesting he’s offered a contract to English journeyman heavyweight Derek Chisora to fight him later this year in his next title defense.

Well, Fury’s American co-promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing said later Tuesday night- not so fast.

Arum spoke with our insider/content partner Dan Rafael later Tuesday about whether Fury will be fighting anyone other than the winner of the upcoming Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua rematch for an undisputed title fight?

And, Arum made clear Fury is likely just playing around with his “social media announcements.”

From Dan’s item on his Fight Freaks Unite Substack,

“Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter, downplayed Fury’s spurt of announcements and said not take it seriously because nothing would be done as it relates to Fury’s next fight until after the rematch between three-belt titleholder Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua, who meet on Aug. 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The biggest fight in boxing would be Fury against the winner for the undisputed championship, especially if it was Joshua.

“He’s having fun,” Arum told Fight Freaks Unite about Fury. “He gets up in the morning. He figures what kind of shit to stir up and he says whatever he thinks. And because he gets so many hits on all these (social media) platforms he has a built in audience. If he got up tomorrow and said he’s coming back to fight X and that the only person that he’ll trust to train him is Bob Arum, he’s capable of saying that.”

Arum said there is nothing seriously being done to facilitate a Chisora fight despite Fury’s comments.

“Of course not,” Arum said. “Nothing. What are we, crazy? Everybody is waiting for the fight to happen a week from Saturday and then we’ll explore whether it’s feasible to do a fight for the complete unification. He’s having fun, for Christ sake! Don’t take it seriously!

“The truth is that he gets up in the morning and he figures how he can best stir up shit and that’s what he does. You think Isaac takes it seriously? Of course not, for Christ sake! (Fury) is just having fun. It’s his idea of fun.

“He’s getting a little antsy as we all are because we’re waiting (for Aug. 20). If Usyk wins then there’s one path to take because then everybody is close and friendly and if Joshua wins then we’ve got to deal with (Joshua promoter) Eddie (Hearn) and all that stuff.”

Arum did say that if the Usyk-Joshua II winner suffered an injury that might keep him out of the ring for an extended period, thus preventing a Fury fight in the near future, they might proceed with a Chisora fight.

“(If the Aug. 20) winner needs a lot more time off because of an injury and so forth then there is a possibility we’d move ahead with a Chisora fight,” Arum said. “We’re all waiting for the fight in Saudi Arabia to take place and, hopefully, Usyk wins and then our path is clear. Of course, if Joshua wins, in the U.K., it’s a much bigger fight.”

As we wrote Tuesday, ESPN’s Mike Coppinger is reporting that Cardiff, Wales’ Principality Stadium is being discussed for the possible December bout with Chisora, if it actually has any chance of happening.

So, now, we wait from more confirmation from Fury (and his representatives) on how real a Chisora bout might be?