Boxing Day could have a very literal meaning later this year with a proposal to hold Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder III in Australia the day after Christmas Day.
Fury and Wilder were initially due to meet for the third time next month but that was pushed back to October before the Coronavirus pandemic put a halt on sporting events.
There is no agreement when and where the two heavyweights will meet for their trilogy fight but there is an interesting proposal from Down Under.
"The suggestion was to go to a place called Bankwest Stadium, which can hold about 45,000 people. It's the middle of summer down here," Australian promoter Dean Lonergan told Sky Sports about talks with Bob Arum.
"You could have pictures beaming out across the world to probably 170 plus countries, which is what that fight would get to.
"Drone shots of the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the amazing Sydney Harbour.
"It could go into Melbourne and Marvel Stadium. They had 50,000 people there for the UFC not so long ago, or we could do it at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane."
On the fight taking place on Boxing Day, meaning it would be Christmas Day in the US, Lonergan, who worked with Arum to put on Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn in Australia, added, "Wouldn't it be great to do it on Boxing Day as a celebration of Jack Johnson's victory for the heavyweight championship over Tommy Burns in 1908 in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney?
"That way, it would be broadcast back into the US on Christmas night.
"I think that would be an amazing time from a rating perspective, and also what a great celebration to really highlight what Jack Johnson did."
Johnson, the first ever African American world heavyweight champion, won the title by beating Canada's Tommy Burns in Sydney on Boxing day 1908.
Former champion James J Jeffries had refused to fight Johnson and decided to retire instead. Johnson then followed Burns around the world, as the new champion fought in London, Dublin, Paris and Australia in 1908 to goad him into the fight.
Things have been far simpler for Fury and Wilder to get their fight on. The first fight took place in 2018 with the Bronze Bomber seemingly thinking the Gypsy King would be an easy opponent just three fights into his comeback.
Instead the Brit made things difficult and earned a controversial draw before out boxing Wilder completely in their rematch at the beginning of the year to become the WBC heavyweight champion.
Speaking about the ongoing talks to host the fight in Australia, Lonergan added, "I put an email up to Bob Arum, maybe a month ago, maybe six weeks ago, with a budget attached suggesting that Australia is going to be one of the first countries in the world to open up to crowds.
"Australia and New Zealand have both done amazing jobs stamping out coronavirus, and pretty much in the next two to three weeks, I would expect, the reports will be no coronavirus left in Australia.
"...On that basis, then you would expect crowds to be going back.
"I just made the point: 'Bob, if Australia opens up, you could come down here. Here's a budget, here's what it could look like. We've worked together before it would be a great place to do it'.
"He's [Bob Arum] open to the idea and obviously I was surprised to see in the media the other day that he said Australia.
"He told me Australia is in the mix, and it just comes down to what territories are going to be open and where are the guys prepared to go to.
"If America is open, and Las Vegas can take a crowd of 15,000 at the MGM Grand, well I guess that's where they'll go."
Arum, who represents Fury in America, has previously ruled out the third installment of their rivalry taking place behind closed doors due to them missing out on $17 million at the gate.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Heavyweight boxing, American boxing, Tyson Fury, Boxing News, Bob Arum, US Sports, Deontay Wilder, Australia, USA