Anthony Joshua gets voluntary WBC rating to challenge Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua entered the World Boxing Council Ratings at number six, more than enough to challenge Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight title.
Earlier this week, Fury offered Joshua an opportunity that his Brit rival would need special dispensation or a September ranking to earn sanction.
The latter has now taken place, leaving ex-world champion Joshua in a position to be the voluntary option for Fury in Cardiff at the end of the year.
Joshua needed to feature in September’s Top 15 of the WBC Ratings after his loss in Saudi Arabia last month. As expected, the WBC Ratings Committee obliged after a rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
The WBC sparingly ranked AJ over the past six years due to his ties to every other sanctioning body. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion either held or challenged for the WBA, IBF, and WBO versions since 2016.
The WBC has a policy of not ranking any fighter who competes for another organization. This scenario meant DAZN and Matchroom Boxing star Joshua could not be rated until now.
However, his inclusion at the first attempt bodes well for a battle with “The Gypsy King” in December. If Fury’s team agrees, the British showdown will be the most significant top division bout involving a UK fighter in two decades.
American heavyweight Deontay Wilder remains the number one contender. “The Bronze Bomber” stays above Andy Ruiz Jr. despite the ex-unified ruler winning an eliminator against Luis Ortiz.
Frank Sanchez is third, with Wilder’s next opponent Robert Helenius in fourth. Arslanbek Makhmudov is fifth as Ortiz drops to eleven following the Ruiz defeat.
WBC Ratings – Heavyweight [September 2022]
1 Deontay Wilder US
2 Andy Ruiz Jr. Mexico/US
3 Frank Sanchez Cuba CONTINENTAL AMERICAS
4 Robert Helenius Finland
5 Arslanbek Makhmudov Russia/Canada NABF
6 Anthony Joshua GB
7 Dillian Whyte GB
8 Otto Wallin Sweden
9 Martin Bakole Congo/GB
10 Zhan Kossobutskiy Kazakhstan INTL
11 Luis Ortiz Cuba
12 Michael Hunter US
13 Dereck Chisora GB
14 Filip Hrgovic Croatia
15 Efe Ajagba Nigeria/US
