The WBC have announced that if a fight between former heavyweight world champions Anthony Joshua 26-3 (23) and Deontay Wilder 43-2-1 (42) gets made the Mexican-based sanctioning body will sanction the bout for the number one contender position within their rankings.
Former two-time WBA, WBO and IBF kingpin Joshua, 34, and former WBC boss Wilder, 38, will box on the same card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 23. Britain’s Joshua will face Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin 26-1 (14) while American Wilder will clash with former WBO champion Joseph Parker 33-3 (23) of New Zealand.
If Joshua and Wilder are victorious they are expected to meet in the ring next year.
Meanwhile, current WBC titleholder Tyson Fury 34-0-1 (24) will face WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 17. The loser of the bout is expected to have the right to call for an immediate rematch.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is excited at the prospect of putting
“We’ve been waiting and pushing and mediating and encouraging everyone to try to make this happen,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
“When Wilder was champion there were a couple of occasions where Wilder-Joshua came very close. The WBC left that window without interfering with anything that could get in the way. Then with Tyson Fury, he was ready to fight Joshua, then Usyk.
“The problem that could happen is a mandatory contender,” he continued. “We did order Wilder against [Andy] Ruiz, which was a tremendous fight, to find a mandatory contender.
“That fight didn’t take place. So the WBC board of governors has approved Fury against Usyk in February and then the rematch so there will not be anything in the way, as far as the WBC, for both fights to take place.
“In itself it is a natural WBC elimination tournament. You have Wilder, No 1, Joshua, you have Parker, you have Otto Wallin, all those are highly ranked in the WBC. After December 23 we’re going to see a different picture in the rankings.”
Sulaiman added: “It looks like Wilder and Joshua are on a collision course. That could very well be a final elimination to determine a mandatory contender for the WBC title.
“Unbelievable. That would be a dream come true for the fans.
“I am very happy to see the promoters collaborating, the managers, the fighters. Of course there’s big money involved but you have to make it.
“You can dream of things, we have been dreaming for this and this is the perfect moment to get into another era of boxing. So we will be supporting as much as we can.”
Fury vs Joshua is one of the high-profile heavyweight bouts missing from the modern era. Fury has already faced Wilder three times, going 2-0-1 and knocking him out twice.
