Bob Arum is baffled by Deontay Wilder’s claim that Tyson Fury didn’t really contract COVID-19.

Fury’s illness caused a 2½-month postponement of their third WBC heavyweight title fight, from July 24 to October 9. Wilder reiterated during an appearance last week on “The PBC Podcast” that he feels Fury faked a COVID diagnosis because he struggled during training camp against younger sparring partners.

Arum, whose company co-promotes Fury, implored Wilder to contact the Nevada State Athletic Commission to verify Fury’s battle with the coronavirus. The 89-year-old promoter confirmed that Fury’s team provided proof to Wilder’s representatives that Fury had indeed tested positive for COVID-19.

“I don’t know what [Wilder] believes or what he doesn’t believe,” Arum told BoxingScene.com. “But what he should at least look into is the fact that once Fury got COVID, he immediately contacted the commission, or somebody did, and the commission doctors examined him and diagnosed him with COVID. So, what the f--- is Wilder talking about? I mean, it isn’t like a fighter is out and says, ‘I need a postponement because I sprained my leg jogging.’ Then there’s always questions. ‘Was he really hurt?’ Blah, blah, blah.

“But here, it’s something that is completely able to be checked out with the commission. So, why should he believe me, Wilder? He shouldn’t. Why should he believe Fury? If he doesn’t want, he shouldn’t. But check it out with the commission that has no motive at all to lie.”

Fury returned to his home country of England once their ESPN/FOX Sports pay-per-view main event was postponed early in July. He has trained there since August, but he will return to the United States soon to complete training camp at Top Rank’s gym in Las Vegas.

The 32-year-old Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) is listed by the William Hill sports book as approximately a 3-1 favorite to defeat Wilder again. Fury floored Wilder twice, once apiece in the third and fifth rounds, on his way to a seventh-round stoppage in their rematch 18 months ago at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 35-year-old Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) changed head trainers, from Jay Deas to onetime opponent Malik Scott, following his first professional defeat. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native has effusively praised Scott’s work and is very confident he’ll redeem himself during their third fight.

The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist senses that Fury’s lack of confidence is what legitimately led his rival to request a postponement of their third fight.

“I can’t control what they’re doing on their side,” Wilder told Kenneth Bouhairie and Michael Rosenthal, co-hosts of “The PBC Podcast,” for an episode that dropped last week on premierboxingchampions.com. “I can’t control whether this is a lie or it’s the truth. You know what I’m saying? Because I don’t believe none of it, nothing that they’ve done. Anybody that’s been trying to run since July, anybody that’s paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to not fight, you can’t believe that person. You know? They trying to run away from it – I’m running to it. When it’s like that, you can’t believe nothing. You know, and honestly, I don’t believe he had no COVID. You know, look at his actions. Look at what he’s done. Been at different places and stuff like that. He definitely don’t act like it.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.