Should we get that far, and heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury share a ring, the WBC would approve the contest as an official eliminator according to the sanctioning body’s president, Mauricio Sulaiman.
Fury, 36-2-1 (25 KOs), currently sits in the No. 1 position with the WBC and is a former champion. The fifth-ranked Joshua, 30-4 (27 KOs), has held the other three major belts but is yet to wear the green and gold of the WBC.
A closer look at the WBC rankings, and specifically the fighters that sit between 38-year-old Fury and Joshua, 36, perhaps illustrate why this isn’t just the WBC being over eager to put their mark on a big fight.
Ranked at No. 2 is Lawrence Okolie, who is yet to clear his name following a failed test earlier this year. Three and four are Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic, respectively. Those two do battle for the vacant IBF title on August 29 and will see their individual rankings with the WBC affected: the winner will be removed; the loser will surely plummet.
Thus, Fury-Joshua as a WBC eliminator – should the fight happen, of course – does appear to make sense.
“The WBC would absolutely approve that as a final eliminator, because Tyson Fury is the number one contender of the division,” Sulaiman explained to Betway Insider. “And the WBC absolutely would be proud to be part of that promotion.
“Both fighters are tremendous. Tyson Fury is one of the greatest ambassadors ever of the WBC. We are so proud, he has always been very friendly, very kind, inside and outside of the ring.
“Anthony Joshua, the WBC [was the first to rank him] when he started boxing. He was number two contender. When he had the opportunity from the IBF [to fight Charles Martin], he had to go the other way and that he was the WBC International Champion for several years, but that’s the way boxing is.
“Maybe this will be the time to bring Anthony Joshua to the WBC.”
Agit Kabayel, the currently holder of the WBC heavyweight title following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish all of his belts, is thought to be close to announcing his first defense.
“We have given opportunity to [Kabayel’s promoter] Queensberry and Spencer Brown to try to find the best match possible for his debut as full world champion,” Sulaiman said.
“We’ll wait a few more days to see if they have something in place. If not, then the WBC will come in a ruling.”
The WBC might not be the only sanctioning body keeping a close eye on the Joshua-Fury saga, however. In July, while talking to BoxingScene, Fury’s manager Brown revealed he planned to approach the WBA with a request to put their ‘super’ title on the line.
That status ceased to exist when Usyk gave up this belts and left Murat Gassiev as the lone heavyweight titlist with the WBA.
