WBC Heavyweight Champion Is Vacant, Who’s Next In Line for The Title?
FightersTalkTV.com – WBC released an update on the status of their World Heavyweight title on August 15, following the announcement of Tyson Fury’s official retirement from boxing. With ‘The Gipsy King’ formally retiring, the WBC should automatically become vacant, but it has to be affirmed after they receive official written confirmation from Fury’s official.
The WBC felt compelled to issue a short statement to clarify the situation, following which many were left miffed when this wasn’t immediately affirmed.
“The World Boxing Council has been in communications with Tyson Fury and his promoters regarding his status as WBC heavyweight champion. The WBC has set Friday, August 26th as the final day to receive official written confirmation from them. No further comments will be made by our organization until then.”
It means that Tyson Fury, who announced his retirement right on his 34th birthday, hasn’t yet given up his WBC title and has another ten days to decide what to do with the belt he won in the second match against Deontay Wilder in February 2020.
Tyson Fury defends his WBC heavyweight championship in his third fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday
Tyson Fury defends his WBC heavyweight championship in his third fight against Deontay Wilder last October.
However, Fury has confirmed to relinquish The Ring title, which will now be on the line in this weekend’s rematch between WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and challenger Anthony Joshua.
Tyson Fury Announced His Retirement To WBC, Is That Officially? If Fury does stay retired, a fight one month away could determine a new champion.
Joe Joyce vs. Joseph Parker will be taking place on September 24. There were rumors of that bout being for the interim belt. According to the WBC’s rankings, Joe Joyce is ranked second but is also the WBO mandatory challenger. The Sun reported that Joyce’s team is pushing his fight against Parker to be for the WBC heavyweight title. He already told Metro before the Fury-Whyte bout that he would want to face the winner.
Joyce has held the British, Commonwealth, WBC Silver, WBO International, and European heavyweight titles. Parker won the WBO title against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2016. He is currently on a six-fight win streak, recently beating Derek Chisora in a pair of fights for the WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
There is also Deontay Wilder, ranked first in the WBC’s rankings. The former champion has been out of action since losing to Fury in their trilogy fight in October 2021. He currently has no return date set, but there are rumors of him facing Robert Helenius.
Who do you think the fighters deserve the belt, regardless in line or not? Write your comment below.
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