Bob Arum says only Tyson Fury will decide who he fights next as the heavyweight debate continues over a potential mandatory.
WBC champion Fury is eyeing a fight in the UK after his astonishing efforts stateside when defeating Deontay Wilder twice.
Fury will head to Manchester or London next spring against a shortlist of two prominent opponents.
FURY DECIDES
But despite a possible ruling from the WBC over a clash with interim ruler Dillian Whyte, Arum is adamant Fury makes the final decision, not the World Boxing Council.
“Who Fury fights next will be determined by Fury,” Top Rank’s Arum told Sky Sports. The Hall of Famer then confirmed the shortlist of two.
“If the fight is in the UK, I would think Whyte would be a good possibility, as well as Joyce.”
On the reasoning behind his decision to ditch the USA for a homecoming, Arum added: “It is very, very important that Tyson, having done his last five fights in the US, that he goes back and does a fight in the UK.
“He is a Brit. He has plenty of fans in the UK. If he does a fight in the UK then comes back to the US, he will bring 10,000 Brits with him.”
Confirming the date, Arum concluded: “Frank Warren is going to Manchester to meet Fury to work out a date. It could be March or April, but no later than April.
‘We will figure out who and when Tyson will fight next.”
Whether that means Fury is willing to ditch the green and gold belt, who knows?
HEAVYWEIGHT RULING
Whyte pulled out of a scheduled and contracted clash with Otto Wallin with just over one week to go recently. He was then forced to deny faking an injury to do so.
Legal teams have since got involved as Whyte pushes for his shot at Fury, and Wallin lobbies the WBC to uphold a ruling outlined before they fought.
The WBC had said the winner of Whyte vs. Wallin would meet Fury or Wilder. Now we know that the second name is Fury, it remains to be seen who will be in the opposite corner.
If the WBC reiterates Whyte vs. Wallin, Fury could fight Warren, and Arum promoted Joyce before meeting the interim champion further down the line.
An official decision is expected to be made at the WBC Convention in November.
