Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are facing the prospect of having to take significant pay cuts for their proposed trilogy clash later this year. 

Sportsmail understands that Fury and Wilder will likely have to fight for less money than they would have initially expected due to an anticipated shortfall in revenue for the event.

Their blockbuster heavyweight rematch in February, which ended in a seventh-round stoppage win for Fury, grossed close to $17million in gate receipts, and there is a general presumption that it would not be possible to get remotely close to that figure in this current climate, even towards the backend of this year.

Furthermore, there will be an added cost of around $300,000 to pay for testing and other health protocols to ensure the event could go ahead safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

Top Rank chief and Fury's co-promoter Bob Arum told Sportsmail: 'I don’t think there’s any question about it that Fury and Wilder will earn less than what they would have before the pandemic. 

'For one, we don't know how this will effect pay-per-view buys and it's going to be difficult to replace what we had in gate receipts.

'We are funding and paying for all the measures too and it is extraordinarily expensive. We have minimums for fighters and in recent times we have been paying double and triple them for the fighters, but now we are going to have to adhere more closely to the minimums.'

As things stand, Macao in China, Australia, New Zealand and the 65,000-seater NFL Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas are being considered as locations to stage the fight in November time.

Arum told Sportsmail that the fight would have to take place in front of spectators otherwise it would leave a substantial hole in the revenue stream, and so identifying a location where fans can attend will play a major factor in the final decision of where the fight ends up - while it will also depend on if social and travel restrictions are lifted.

The promoter believes the site fee alone by taking Fury and Wilder to China would fill that hole while it would also allow the fight to be broadcasted at prime time in the US, but Las Vegas currently remains the No 1 option.

Sportsmail understands there are hopes that 15,000 to 20,000 fans will be allowed to attend the fight in November if they can be spread out across the stands at the Allegiant Stadium as part of the United States' phase two plans.

Arum admitted that they would also consider applying for travel restriction exemptions if quarantine periods are still being enforced in the countries lined up to host Fury and Wilder's trilogy showdown.