WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has said the WBC has no issue with Tyson Fury fighting Oleksandr Usyk next in what would be a big heavyweight unification showdown between the current WBC champ and the reigning WBA IBF WBO champion. Speaking with Sky Sports, Sulaiman said Fury, after his fight with Derek Chisora on December 3, will not be called to make a mandatory defence of the WBC title (this is of course assuming Fury beats Chisora in their trilogy fight).
Usyk, in the meantime, may or may not be called to make a mandatory defence of the IBF belt, against mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic; things having gone somewhat quiet on that score. But Sulaiman gives his blessing for a Usyk-Fury fight – providing the winner fights the victor of the WBC-ordered fight between Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr.
“There has been real interest in having Fury against Usyk take place, that would be a great possibility and then the winner would have to fight the WBC mandatory once that is confirmed,” Sulaiman said to Sky Sports. “The WBC has been extremely supportive of unification bouts. If it happens it will be a tremendous fight for the world and the WBC is supportive of that as long as the rights of the mandatory contender are not infringed.”
The winner of the Ruiz-Wilder fight will be in line to fight the Fury-Usyk winner, and Sulaiman says Wilder-Ruiz is a great fight, with us fans agreeing with him. “That fight should prove to be a great, great match and then a very solid mandatory contender for the WBC,” he said.
Indeed, we have three potentially thrilling fights to look forward to under this scenario: Fury-Usyk, Wilder Ruiz and then the two winners going at it for all the gold (maybe). Of course, where this scenario would leave guys like Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce and one or two others is not clear. But Fury, Usyk, Wilder and Ruiz are arguably the Top Four at heavyweight right now. Who emerges at the top of the pack if the above fights do happen next year? Exciting times for the heavyweight division are here again. Or they could be, in 2023.