Skip to content
Home » World Boxing Council mandatories set – which bouts will happen?

World Boxing Council mandatories set – which bouts will happen?

  • by
  • 5 min read

World Boxing News provides a rundown of all the World Boxing Council mandatories from the 60th Convention and looks at which fights will make it over the line.

The WBC confirmed all eighteen weight classes as promoters accepted or requested more time to secure the bouts.

World Boxing Council Mandatories – November 2022

However, not all the match-ups will be forthcoming for fans in the next few months.

Heavyweight

World Boxing Council champion Tyson Fury has two fights for December and the first half of 2023. That gives number one-ranked Deontay Wilder and his PBC rival Andy Ruiz Jr. ample time to compete in the ordered final eliminator.

WBN has reported for a couple of years that the fight was on Al Haymon’s wishlist. It now seems highly likely to happen by May 2023 in Las Vegas.

The winner of Wilder vs Ruiz will face the undisputed champion once Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk in the Middle East next year.

Fight: Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk vs Deontay Wilder or Andy Ruiz Jr.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 10/10.

World Boxing Council Bridgerweight

Champion Oscar Rivas, who was going to fight in his home country of Colombia, will now battle in Poland against Lukasz Rozanski.

His second mandatory will be against the winner of Alen Babic and Ryad Merhy. They contest a final eliminator.

Fight: Oscar Rivas vs Lukasz Rozanski

Date: First half of 2023.

Chances: 8/10.

Cruiserweight

Champion Ilunga “Junior” Makabu has a voluntary. Then after that, a mandatory against Noel Mikaelyn.

Thabiso Mchunu vs Badou Jack in a final eliminator. Coincidentally Thabiso has already fought Junior twice.

Fight: Makabu vs Mikaelyn

Date: First half of 2023.

Chances: 8/10.

Light heavyweight

Artur Beterbiev fights a WBO defense against Britain’s Anthony Yarde and then his WBC mandatory commitment. Callum Smith is the expected order.

Fight: Beterbiev vs Smith

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 7/10.

Super middleweight

Champion Canelo Alvarez has undergone surgery and is having rehab on his left wrist. David Benavídez, interim champion, will fight Caleb Plant in March.

The winner becomes the mandatory challenger.

Fight: Canelo vs Benavidez or Plant II.

Date: September 2023.

Chances: 5/10.

Middleweight

Champion Jermall Charlo has recently been injured. This will be accessed.

Interim champion Carlos Adame who is at the Convention, asked to be made the mandatory challenger.

Fight: Charlo vs Adame.

Date: 2023.

Chances: 3/10.

Super welterweight

An application was made from Sampson for “Towering Inferno” Sebastian Fundora to be mandatory for champion Jermell Charlo after Jermell has fought Tim Tszyu.

Meanwhile, Unified Champion Alycia Baumgardner, who Tony Harrison trains, proposed the fight Sebastian vs. former champ Tony Harrison for the mandatory spot.

Both teams and the WBC Board of Governors accepted this with alacrity.

Fight: Charlo vs Fundora or Harrison.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 7/10.

Welterweight

The Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford fight withered on the vine, so Keith Thurman is mandatory.

Fight: Spence vs Thurman.

Date: First half of 2023.

Chances: 10/10.

Super lightweight

Regis Prograis and Jose “Chon” Zepeda fight for the vacant title.

Lightweight

Champion Devin Haney will fight Vasiliy Lomachenko.

WBC ordered Shakur Stevenson vs Isaac Cruz as the next mandatory.

Fight: Haney or Loma vs Stevenson or Cruz.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 4/10.

Super featherweight

Featherweight champion Rey Vargas, previously super bantamweight champion, moves up to fight O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant crown.

The winner then has a mandatory against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez.

Fight: Vargas or Foster vs Hernandez.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 7/10.

World Boxing Council Featherweight

After the Foster fight, Vargas must decide if he wants to stay at super-feather or go back to feather.

Super bantamweight Stephen Fulton will move up to featherweight to contest the interim title.

Super bantamweight

Final eliminator between Luis Nery and Azat Hovhannisyan.

Bantamweight

Naoya Inoue fights WBO champion Paul Butler to get an undisputed champion. If he moves up in weight Jason Moloney and Nonito Donaire will fight for the vacant title.

If not, this match will produce the mandatory challenger. Both Jason and Nonito were on hand for a gentlemanly face-off.

Fight: Inoue vs Moloney or Donaire.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 2/10.

Super flyweight

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada for the vacant title.

Andrew Moloney vs Pedro “Pedrin” Guevara for the mandatory.

Fight: Gonzalez or Estrada vs Moloney or Guevara.

Date: Second half of 2023.

Chances: 6/10.

World Boxing Council Flyweight

JC Martinez will fight in December against a rival to be determined. His fight against McWilliams Arroyo has been postponed six times.

Now McWilliams is injured. Angel Ayala was confirmed as mandatory. He is available if Rey’s team is willing to fight him in December.

Light Flyweight

Champion Kenshiro Teraji defended his World Boxing Council belt last week. Hekkie Budler is confirmed as mandatory.

Fight: Teraji vs Hudler.

Date: 2023.

Chances: 8/10.

Strawweight

Champ Panya Pradabsri awaits the Victor of Luis Castillo vs Ayanda Ndulani.

Chances: 7/10.

Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram, and Twitter @worldboxingnews.