Andy Lee has spoken about heavyweight boxing's intriguing triangle, as Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua vie to be the best in the division.
Lee was in his cousin Fury's corner for the re-match with Wilder in February, a fight in which the American's corner threw in the towel in the seventh round after being completely dominated.
Andy joined Ronan Mullen and Phil Egan on the latest episode of Off The Brawl this week, and he said that the current hold on sport will have a significant impact on boxing - even on fights that had already been agreed.
"I spoke to Tyson during the week and he said he doesn't know. His own personal feeling is nothing will happen [in discussions] until this is over.
February 22, 2020, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: WBC World Heavyweight Championship -12 rounds DEONTAY WILDER Tusculoosa Al. 231lbs 42-0-1,41 KOs Black w/ Gold vs Tyson Fury Wilmslow, Great Briton 273 Lbs 29-0-1, 20 KOs Black e/ Gold Fury wins in 7th round TKO when Referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight at request of Wilders corner. (Credit Image: © Larry Burton/ZUMA Wire)"They're looking to November maybe for Wilder. There have been strong rumours that Joshua's side have been talking to Fury's side, so that's maybe a new development.
"My own feeling is that whatever fights were even signed and confirmed before this virus are now up in the air. I think everything's back in play and I don't see anything being set in stone. Although they are contracts they are outdated now so I don't know if they'll hold up.
"No-one really knows what's going to happen. I think in the next couple of weeks we might see which way it's going to go, if it is going to be fights behind-closed-doors."
The point was made that big fights with no audience may be quite tough to pull off, especially considering any advice given from the fighters' corners will be heard by the opposing fighter.
"If there is no crowd maybe it will be a good tactic for a fight, if there's no audience. The thing is, these fights behind-closed-doors will have to be smaller fights in terms of the purses and money that's required.
Feb 22, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Deontay Wilder is knocked down by Tyson Fury during their WBC heavyweight title bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Fury won via seventh round TKO. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA"Even though pay-per-view would probably generate a lot, there's still a lot to be said for the live gate of a fight."
Andy added that Tyson has plenty of options on the table now, and said rumours of a new coach for Wilder add extra interest if that were to happen again.
"From a coaching point of view you just prepare for the challenge that's there, they both present different challenges. I think Wilder will be a lot better.
"There's been talk that Joe Goossen is now going to coach Wilder. So that would be a new challenge and an interesting development, an interesting subplot to the fight.
"Whoever it is you just prepare for them, it doesn't really matter! I think Tyson beats them both anyway, it's just a matter of which way he goes about it. It doesn't really matter who it is to me."
Goossen was involved in a coaching capacity in the 'Fight of the Century' back in 2005 when his fighter Diego Corrales made an epic comeback against Jose Luis Castillo on Cinco de Mayo. That fight was up for discussion too on the latest Off The Brawl podcast.
Fight of the Century? Certainly up there.
15 years this week since the late Diego Corrales' all-time classic world title unification vs José Luis Castillo@AndyLeeBoxing, @PhilEganSport & I relived the drama on Off The Brawl 🥊
PODCAST ➡️ https://t.co/ZwsURfFU2R#GoggleBoxing pic.twitter.com/aCifjyQ2iR— Ronan Mullen (@RonanReigns) May 3, 2020
It emerged last month that Wilder underwent a secret bicep procedure after the Fury fight. The 34-year-old had previously revealed he'd had seven surgeries on the arm.
Andy said it's good at least to see the Alabama boxer show some fighting spirit with all his talk outside the ring.
"Some of it is good to see him say. I know it reflects badly on him, but at least he showed he has the fighting spirit, he's a little bit delusional or whatever he has to believe.
"It shows he has that hardened spirit that he wants to win, and the mind of a champion. There might be some credence to it, I've only watched the fight three or four times now, and his legs fell apart, they completely fell apart at the seams. I was surprised at how quickly he unravelled in the fight."
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