ANTHONY JOSHUA?S ?ultimate heavyweight fight? against Deontay Wilder has moved a step closer after the WBC ?ordered the bout?.
The two boxers have been at loggerheads over the final details for a unification blockbuster for months now, despite the boxing public demanding the showdown.
Now Tyson Fury has jumped the queue and secured a shot at Wilder?s WBC title on December 1 in Los Angeles, meaning he should be in line to fight AJ if he can beat the American in just over seven weeks? time.
But Wilder is the big favourite to beat Fury, who is only two fights into his comeback after two and a half years out.
And should the 40-0 American make yet another successful defence of his belt, a 2019 scrap against WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO champ Joshua should materialise.
Speaking to Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: ?Absolutely, that?s a fight the world wants to see.
?That?s a fight the WBC has just ruled to support. During our convention, a ruling of the mandatory status included the provision of trying to make the winner of Fury-Wilder against Joshua.
?I?m not certain about any contract. That?s a private agreement.
?But the WBC is of course the one that orders the fights, so our position is that we want to see the ultimate heavyweight fight, which involves Joshua and involves the WBC champion.?
AJ has maintained that if Wilder wants the fight, he would prefer it to happen in the UK ? not least because the Watford man could guarantee a stadium sell-out.
