Tyson Fury has eleven more days to ratify his retirement decision as Deontay Wilder waits in the wings for the next WBC move.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed he’s spoken to Fury and given the British fighter a deadline.
Tyson Fury retirement
This scenario means Fury must clarify his future so that the WBC can arrange details with the vacant heavyweight title.
In an interview with Mexican media, WBC head Sulaiman says there’s no rush to determine the situation of their green and gold top division strap.
However, the body has placed a deadline to make sure the process is smooth.
“We had a conversation with his promoter. We gave him fourteen days, until 26th [of August], so they can send us a written confirmation of his final decision”, Mauricio Sulaiman told IZQUIERDAZO.
“With that, we can proceed to address the situation with the belt.”
Vacant WBC heavyweight title
Sulaiman didn’t want to confirm if they would vacate the title. He prefers to wait for the deadline.
“We will wait until August 26th”, Sulaiman said. “That is our deadline to have formal confirmation of their final decision.
“We have no rush. He has been a big hero inside the ring and out of it”.
If Fury’s decision is final, Sulaiman wants to celebrate his career. But there was a massive ‘if’ accompanying Sulaiman’s words.
He also stated that Fury remains in top condition to fight.
“We talked about that [with his promoter]. We will be waiting for him in Mexico,” he added. “If he confirms his retirement, we will have a big celebration for Tyson Fury.
Sulaiman respects Fury’s decision and wishes him the best for the future.
“He decided to say goodbye to boxing, despite being at the peak of his career. But he has a beautiful family, and he is enjoying life. He still has a lot to give inside the ring and out of it,” he concluded.
Deontay Wilder
The man who could benefit the most is a former rival, Deontay Wilder. Despite losing to Fury twice, Wilder remains the number one contender.
Wilder currently has ties to returning against Robert Helenius in the fall. PBC boss Al Haymon will undoubtedly aim to lobby the WBC to make that fight for the vacant belt.
If not, Wilder vs Helenius, Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Luis Ortiz, and Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker could all be part of a tournament to crown a champion eventually.
More is expected from the WBC on the matter next week.
However, Deontay Wilder is in pole position due to his ranking.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
