Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will face Deontay Wilder in what might be the most important final eliminator for Tyson Fury’s WBC championship in 2024.
On December 23, Joshua and Wilder will face Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker in separate fights.
Both Wilder and Joshua will be able to box each other next year if they win. But, despite being the WBC’s No. 1 and No. 2 contenders, they will not face each other for the heavyweight title.
According to Sky Sports, the WBC has confirmed that their heavyweight championship will not only be contested, along with the IBF, WBA and WBO belts, in the Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undisputed title fight on February 17 but also in a rematch.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC president, emphasised that his organisation had been committed to supporting establishing an undisputed champion at heavyweight.
“We’ve been waiting and pushing and mediating and encouraging everyone to try to make this happen,” Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
“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 explained.
Joshua and Wilder are favoured to win their fights and the expectation is for the American and the Briton to box next year. Tyson Fury dismissed the significance of Joshua’s potential bout with fellow heavyweight Wilder and labelled the fight as a ‘battle of losers’.
“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,” Sulaiman said.
“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.”