Tyson Fury can fight Anthony Joshua in 2021 with ‘no restrictions’, the WBC confirmed, though Dillian Whyte could yet regain his mandatory challenger status.
Fury had been obliged to fight Whyte in early 2021 in order to defend his WBC heavyweight championship. However, Whyte’s surprise defeat to Alexander Povetkin at Saturday’s Fight Camp event means that the current champion can look elsewhere.
Povetkin is now the mandatory challenger, but there is no date set for his chance at the title.
Fury is due to fight Deontay Wilder before the end of the year, after which he can set up an undisputed unification fight with Joshua, should he be successfully defend his title.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC president Sulaiman confirmed to Sky Sports: "We don't speculate, but the time limitations which were put by the WBC board, which had Dillian Whyte won, the winner of the third Fury-Wilder fight has to fight without an intervening bout against Dillian Whyte.
"That now has changed. Dillian has lost, so there are no limitations at the moment for the winner of Fury-Wilder to do any fight whatsoever."
Sulaiman said Joshua would be an option for Fury: "Yes, that includes the defence, and what is the tactics of Anthony Joshua and his position to commit to the fight.
"In the WBC, there will be no restrictions whatsoever right now.
"An ultimate unification would be something that everyone would like to see. It's a matter that brings boxing to the highest level."
Joshua has his own obligations for the defence of his WBA, IBF and WBO belts against Kubrat Pulev, the IBF mandatory challenger, later this year.
Sulaiman said that when the Whyte and Povetkin rematch takes place, it is probable that the mandatory challenger would again be on the line.
"Most likely so. This is a fight that created a great interest. This fight might have been underestimated, underrated in the world scene and maybe also in the UK.
"Povetkin is a former champion, a fighter who has fought some of the best in the division in the last decade, and he showed it in the ring."