Fan sets up GoFundMe to raise £1m for AJ vs Fury bout

A die-hard boxing fan that is desperate to see Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua has set up a GoFundMe page for Deontay Wilder.

The biggest fight in the history of boxing is on the brink of collapse after a judge ruled Fury owes Wilder a trilogy fight.

Former WBC king Wilder is willing to step aside – but only if he’s paid a whopping £14m ($20m).

And boxing fan Greg Double has started a whip-round in order to help Team Fury pay off The Bronze Bomber.

He wrote: “We all want to see Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury. Unfortunately, the sport of boxing can be AC-12 levels of bent.

“A US Court has now decided Fury has to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time, this means the Joshua-Fury fight could be postponed.

“However, there’s still hope of saving it. Deontay Wilder could be paid ‘step-aside’ money – essentially a big wedge of cash to get out of the way of this all-British super fight.

“If 100,000 boxing fans chip in a tenner – and let’s face it, we’re used to being ripped off – we can offer him a million quid to get out of the way.

“Not only will it offer an incentive, it will send a message. The fans don’t want to see any other fight.”

Should Wilder decline the money, Double intends to donate the funds to the Boxing Futures project.

He added: “Whatever money we raise will be offered up to Deontay Wilder. If he declines, I will donate all proceeds to charity that uses boxing to help young people fulfil their potential.

“It sucks that this is the only way I can think of to try and do something, but the sport of boxing only knows one language – and that’s money. Let’s make a point.”

Fury’s trilogy fight with Wilder – who he knocked out last February – must take place before September 15.

And the WBC king’s co-promoter, Bob Arum, has already reserved the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for July 24.

The 89-year-old said: “We’re not paying Wilder to step aside.

“It’s better to get rid of him and go about our business. We can make the Fury-Joshua fight for November or December.”

Team Joshua are already in talks over a showdown with former cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk, although promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping the fight with Fury will still come to fruition.

He said: “I have been focusing on Plan A. The only fight we had our mind on was Tyson Fury.

“We hope that that fight can still take place on August 14.

“The game changed last night where we have to have a plan B in place, and probably a plan C as well.

“We have a couple of different options; of course, the one that springs to mind immediately is the WBO mandatory of Oleksandr Usyk.

“They have been quite patient and I think really, we are in a situation where if Team Fury don’t get themselves together, get their act together, by the end of this week, we will have no option but to look for an alternative fight.”