The heavyweight great decides to pursue an interim fight

Tyson Fury and Wilder exchange blows in their past clash [Courtesy]

The WBC ordered an immediate rematch after the December bout but Fury has decided to pursue an interim fight

Tyson Fury has pulled out of his proposed heavyweight rematch with Deontay Wilder.

The former world champion has instead decided to pursue an interim fight with a view to facing Wilder later in the year.

Fury twice climbed off the canvas last December before being denied victory when the judges controversially scored the bout a draw.

The WBC ordered an immediate rematch which was expected to take place on May 18 in either New York or Las Vegas.

But Fury then signed an £80million deal with American Promoter Top Rank which will see his fights broadcast on ESPN.

This brought him into conflict with Wilder whose world title defences have been screened on Showtime.

Both men initially insisted that the rematch would take place, but Fury has now told the WBC otherwise.

He could now take on fellow former world champion Joseph Parker in May or June while Wilder is expected to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: “It feels like someone let all the air out of the balloon,” Sulaiman said.

“We are at a great moment in the heavyweight division and there was a lot of excitement for this rematch, and we lost a couple of months waiting to get this done.

“I will go to the WBC board and discuss it. The position from Wilder was to officially seek the rematch through the WBC mandate. So we’ll look at this and make a determination quickly.”

Fury’s decision also leaves Dillian Whyte in limbo after the Brit opened negotiations with Breazeale for a summer clash.

Dillian Whyte [Courtesy]

That fight would have crowned an ‘interim’ WBC champion with the winner going on to face Wilder or Fury.

Whyte previously turned down a shot at Anthony Joshua after failing to agree on terms, leaving Joshua to defend his world titles against Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1.