WBC Reverses Course – Mandates Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte Fight

The political jockeying and negotiating outside of the ring continues, involving WBC Heavyweight Champ Tyson Fury and their presumed #1 challenger Dillian Whyte. And Tuesday afternoon the most prestigious world boxing organization has decided to switch it’s stance and order Fury to fight Whyte next.

They made the decision official on the on their social media accounts that the unbeaten Fury will likely next have to battle his controversial English countryman,

The WBC hereby orders the start of the free negotiations period pursuant to the WBC Rules & Regulations for the mandatory bout between WBC World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury and Mandatory Challenger and WBC Interim World Champion Dillian Whyte. pic.twitter.com/XFugoKHrQM

— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) December 7, 2021

As we wrote previously, when the World Boxing Council held it’s annual convention in Mexico City last month, they didn’t mandate that the “Gypsy King” honor his mandatory defense.

At that time, they distinguished Whyte as the “interim champion” and had former WBC champ, Deontay Wilder listed as the top contender.

Of course, Fury just defeated Wilder by KO for the second straight time back in October, So, that rating was obviously not relevant for Fury’s possible next fight. Whyte and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, had been touting for months that Fury would be ordered to fight Whyte next.

And, now the “open negotiations” are welcomed by the WBC.

Part of the WBC refusal to mandate Fury-Whyte to happen next because Whyte and Hearn have been suing them over his #1 contender status being passed over for the Fury-Wilder rematches.

That legal action was filed in June of 2020. However, Whyte got knocked out cold by Russian Alexander Povetkin two months later, which temporarily rendered the suit and it’s claims moot. Even though Whyte revenged that loss with a 2nd round KO of Povetkin earlier this year, it obviously didn’t carry enough meaning for the WBC to order the winer of the October Fury-Wilder to fight him next at the convention.

Now, that has changed.

The further intrigue is concession by Hearn to the boxing media this past weekend in Las Vegas that a Fury battle with Unified Heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine would be a better option, potentially. This even though Usyk is obligated by his contract with Anthony Joshua and Matchroom to give the former champ a rematch in the first part of 2022.

Usyk completely outboxed Joshua over 12 rounds in London in late September and the belief is that if Usyk defeats Joshua, immediately, again for a third career loss for Joshua that there will be no real reason to ever have him in a showdown with Tyson Fury in the future.

Whereas, Usyk would get a massive payday and go for the Undisputed status by fighting Fury first and then the winner would face Joshua.

But, Tuesday’s decision on Whyte’s status by the WBC throws another curve into all of it.