WBC President Sulaiman Favors Fury Fighting for Undisputed
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (33-0-1, 24KO) can breathe easy, as a mandatory title defense isn’t looming on the horizon. Organization president Mauricio Sulaiman has no intention of obstructing the path to a potential undisputed showdown with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14KO).
Fury has faced criticism from the boxing community for his decision to forego a traditional title defense in the ring. Instead, he is opting to face former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, didn’t hold back in labeling The Gypsy King as a big joke for passing up the opportunity for an undisputed fight.
THE WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH
Hall of Fame Inductee Carl Froch also chimed in, publicly calling out the WBC champion for prioritizing financial gain over legacy. In a conversation with Boxing Social, Sulaiman attempted to provide some clarity on the situation.
“We took a definite position of ordering [Deontay] Wilder versus [Andy] Ruiz for the mandatory position. That fight has not taken place, it may not take place. Why push for any other mandatory that does not have the level of Tyson Fury that would be in the way for Fury to fight Uysk?
“We take the high road. We want to do the undisputed fight.”
Sulaiman concluded by stating that if Wilder and Ruiz do not square off, the organization will explore other options to determine the mandatory challenger.
Boxing enthusiasts will have to exercise patience until after the Fury-Ngannou bout to see how the situation unfolds. The hope is that the WBC champion will make a concerted effort to pursue the undisputed title, as it’s the fight that boxing fans care to see.
