Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will fight for the WBA world heavyweight championship when they box on December 11, promoter Frank Warren has confirmed. The British rivals will meet in a long-awaited showdown at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and the WBA's 'super' or primary title will be on the line.
The move is a surprise, as the WBA already has a 'regular' titleholder in Murat Gassiev, who was expected to be elevated to full champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. Both Fury and Joshua previously lost their world title belts to Usyk, and now have the chance to reclaim a championship they have held in years gone by.
Warren, who promotes Fury, told Sky Sports News that whoever wins will hold a version of the belt. The objective, he said, after Usyk vacated all the belts, is to determine who is the best and who will hold all the belts as the No 1 heavyweight. He added that Usyk is expected to return next year.
Warren is also staging the Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley rematch on Saturday for the WBO heavyweight title, and would like to match the winner with the Fury-Joshua victor next year. WBO champion Dubois said he would gladly take on either man, stating that he is ready for whoever comes next.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing