In a surprising turn of events, the current WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, has yet to step into the ring in 2023. Astonishingly, no opponent has been scheduled, and a specific boxing date remains elusive, following the collapse of talks to face Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year.

Usyk, too, has been absent from the boxing scene for an extended period, with his last fight dating back to his impressive victory over Anthony Joshua in their August rematch. Enhance your boxing viewing experience with attractive betting odds from Nextbet.

Expressing his disappointment, Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, has voiced his concerns over the stagnation plaguing the heavyweight division. Sulaiman anticipates that the WBC will soon be compelled to issue a mandatory challenger for Fury.

Sulaiman conveyed to Sky Sports, “We have to take some action. There are different options. I’m going to address this with the board of governors because already we’re entering June and there’s no scenario. Tyson Fury will make us proud and show who the WBC champion is.”

The WBC had previously mandated a final eliminator between Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. to determine the mandatory challenger for the heavyweight title. However, to the disappointment of fans, that highly anticipated clash failed to materialize.

Sulaiman revealed, “That was announced since November. We’ve been patiently trying to do that. We didn’t push it in the hope that Fury would fight Usyk. So that was all the way to March [when the Fury-Usyk negotiations collapsed]. So we have to take some decisions.”

Among the potential candidates for Fury’s mandatory challenger is Anthony Joshua, who holds a significant ranking with the WBC.

“That’s a possibility. If Wilder and Ruiz are not fighting for the final elimination, Joshua’s right there at No 3. That’s possible,” acknowledged Sulaiman.

While the heavyweight division struggles to deliver the highly anticipated fights, Sulaiman remains cautiously optimistic about the future.

“Of course, there’s concern about the heavyweight division underperforming in the fights that have been made. But that’s not the fault of anyone but just greed and power. So hopefully, they will come to their senses and make the fights happen. Tyson Fury is the victim of the perils of money,” Sulaiman expressed.

With the WBC president’s assurance that Fury is willing to face any opponent, fans eagerly await a resolution, hopeful that Fury’s boxing journey will soon regain momentum. Follow Nextbet Sports to get all the latest updates from the world of boxing.