Mauricio Sulaiman insists Anthony Joshua's WBC ranking is on merit

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman explains the ‘merits’ of Anthony Joshua entering the organisation’s rankings at sixth ahead of a proposed bout with Tyson Fury after the former unified heavyweight champion had failed to rank for YEARS

  • Anthony Joshua was named in the WBC heavyweight rankings earlier this week
  • WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said that AJ’s inclusion was ‘on his merits’
  • The move means that Joshua can now challenge for Tyson Fury’s WBC title 

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has explained Anthony Joshua’s recent inclusion in the organisation’s heavyweight rankings.

Joshua entered the rankings at #6 earlier this week, as talks intensify for a long-rumoured clash with WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury.

The move means that the sanctioning body will not stand in the way of the two best British heavyweights of the current generation finally settling their differences in the ring.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced that the sanctioning body would approve Anthony Joshua as a challenger for Tyson Fury

The former unified heavyweight champion entered the WBC rankings at #6 earlier this week

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sulaiman explained that Joshua’s inclusion in the heavyweight rankings was strictly ‘on his merits’ and as a result of him ‘not having any commitment for another organisation.’

The 52-year-old further clarified why AJ had not previously been featured in the WBC top 15: 

‘He was not rated before because he was champion of other organisations and then he was signed to fight for other organisations,’

The move means the WBC will sanction the proposed bout between the British heavyweight greats

Fury has reigned as WBC Heavyweight Champion since 2020, and defended his title against Dillian Whyte in April

Sulaiman also confirmed that Joshua’s new-found status as a ranked contender for the organisation means that the Fury fight can go ahead pending the agreement of both fighters’ camps.

Fury has twice defended his WBC belt, most recently stopping mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte via sixth-round knockout in April.

The win means that Fury now has the option to defend his title against any ranked boxer in the WBC’s top 15, clearing at least one of the hurdles standing in the way of a superfight with his old rival Joshua.




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