The WBC deadline has passed for Tyson Fury to agree a fight deal with Oleksandr Usyk, with the Gypsy King expected to be ordered to fight Dillian Whyte.
That’s the information provided by the reliable Michael Benson on Twitter this afternoon. It looks as though Dillian Whyte is finally going to get his long-awaited title shot.
The WBC gave Tyson Fury 30 days after the Deontay Wilder win to agree a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, or he’d have to defend against Dillian Whyte next. This deadline has now passed. WBC will address all mandatories on Tuesday, with Fury vs Whyte expected to be officially ordered.
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 11, 2021
In truth, there was never any possibility of Fury and Usyk meeting in the ring without Anthony Joshua having his rematch. He was never going to stand aside, having lost his belts in rather humiliating fashion on December 18th.
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It does leave the division perfectly poised, though. Whyte fights Fury, Usyk fights Joshua, the winners (assuming Whyte isn’t one of them) battle to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world later in 2022.
It’s exciting times for heavyweight boxing. We’ve had a quite memorable calendar year and it very much looks as though we’re in for another next time around. Bring it on!
