ANTHONY JOSHUA will fight Dillian Whyte before Tyson Fury if the Gypsy King dodges his WBC mandatory defence.
The WBC said the winner of Fury‘s third fight against Deontay Wilder must make a mandatory defence against the holder of the diamond belt, currently Whyte.
But Whyte could lose his world title shot with defeat to Alexander Povetkin in Eddie Hearn’s final fight camp on Saturday.
And if Fury prevails against The Bronze Bomber in their contractually-obliged trilogy fight, there is a good chance he could side-step a title fight with Whyte.
However, Hearn warned the Gypsy King any such move would NOT help him secure a big-money showpiece with Joshua.
And now the promoter has confirmed that IF Fury gives up his belt – AJ will take on his old foe Whyte for the chance to unify the division.
Hearn told Sky Sports: “All Joshua wants is the WBC title.
“If Fury does not want to fight Whyte, then Whyte will be elevated to champion from ‘interim’ champion.
“What will happen? Joshua will fight Whyte straight away for the undisputed championship.”
Joshua and Whyte have clashed twice before and the Jamaica-born fighter has been the WBC’s No1 ranked challenger since 2017 but only last year became mandatory.
Whyte handed Joshua a rare defeat when the pair were amateurs in 2009.
But the 30-year-old from Watford got his revenge in the professional ranks in 2015.
Joshua KO’d Whyte with a seventh-round stoppage but it was not without a scare as AJ was rocked by The Body Snatcher in an ill-tempered bout.
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