WBC Prez: Anthony Joshua Entered The Ratings On His Merits

The World Boxing Council eventually ranked Anthony Joshua in the top ten, which WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman explains was done because the British star is no longer aligned with another sanctioning body.

Most see qualification as a calculated move, because Joshua’s handlers are in talks for a year-end fight with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

“Joshua entered the ratings [on] his merits and since he has no commitment to another organization,” Sulaiman told Sky Sports.

“Before he was not classified because he was champion of other organizations and then they signed him to fight for other organizations.”

Joshua is a two-time IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO world champion. The only belt he never captured was the WBC belt.

The ranking allows the WBC to sanction Joshua as a willing challenger to Fury’s belt.

Joshua initially lost his unified crown in 2019, when Andy Ruiz stopped him in seven rounds. He regained the title six months later with a dominant twelve-round decision.

In September 2021, Joshua lost the titles again, when Oleksandr Usyk outpointed him in twelve rounds. Last month, Joshua was unable to regain the titles, because Usyk once again emerged victorious with a twelve-round decision victory.

Fury was initially pushing to fight Usyk. The Ukrainian boxer made it clear that he does not plan to fight again until early 2023. He wants to spend some time with his family and heal the injuries from the Joshua rematch.