Tyson Fury ‘could be stripped of WBC belt’ if he refuses AJ vs Wilder winner

While Tyson Fury is tasked with a cross-code clash against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, the boxing icon may already be contemplating his next opponent.

Or at least the WBC is contemplating on his behalf amid reports Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder could square off in an eliminator to decide the next title challenger. 'The Gypsy King' has defended his crown on three occasions since wresting it from Wilder in February 2020, most recently defeating Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last December.

Fury's focus is currently fixated on his upcoming bout against Ngannou on October 28, a fixture that has frustrated some fans given it has no belt at stake and effectively holds up the title hierarchy. However, it does at least give time for a potential punch-up between Joshua and Wilder, each of whom will be desperate to get back into the silverware stakes.

That fight makes all the more sense after Joshua – who beat Jermaine Franklin in April before knocking out Robert Helenius last month – moved up to second in the WBC rankings. That puts him and leader Wilder on a collision course, with the council's top two set to duke it out for the right to stake a claim on Fury's strap.

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World Boxing News reported one key development in that race was Andy Ruiz allegedly being ruled out of realistic contention for the title shot after Wilder and his team said he 'priced himself out'. Fury had a similar sentiment earlier this year when he too said the Mexican-American was asking for too much money.

British boxing fans have long yearned for a showdown between Fury and Joshua, who have supposedly come close to agreeing dates on several occasions. Olympian Joshua was once viewed as the best heavyweight of his generation, but Fury's trilogy win over Wilder has given him seniority in that pecking order.

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KSI takes on Tommy Fury at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday, October 14th as he hopes to cause an upset. Logan Paul will also be fighting at the event in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd.

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'AJ' was once sitting pretty with the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO belts in his possession, having defeated Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Charles Martin to assemble his collection. Three losses in three years tarnished his legacy, however, suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk after he was stopped by Ruiz in 2019.

Wilder, 37, has obvious cause to pursue his own date opposite Fury, though many will feel that question has already been answered following two stoppage losses to the Mancunian. That being said, the American still has major draw stateside and made a return to winning ways with a first-round knockout of Helenius last October.

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January and February is being slated as the potential date for Saudi Arabia to host the would-be battle between Joshua and 'The Bronze Bomber'. And the WBC will be expected to take a harder line ensuring Fury faces the victor if he wants to hold onto his belt.

For now, Fury will be focused on preserving his unblemished record against the hard-hitting Ngannou, who will be making his pro boxing debut in Riyadh next month. There will be little let-up after that bout, however, with other mountainous obstacles just around the corner.

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