If we look at the past of the IBF there is no reason for the winner of Joshua vs. Ruiz II to keep it. - Tyson Fury, had just defeated Klitschko and lost the title for refusing to face Glazkov in early 2016. The last IBF defense was Klitschko vs. Pulev at the end of 2014 only 12 months before. - Golovkin lost his IBF title for refusing Derev mid-2018. The last mandatory defense was Golovkin vs. Wade, two years before. - Now Canelo loses the title for refusing Derev while the previous fight ordered by the IBF was Jacobs vs. Derev not even a year before. There the last mandatory IBF heavyweight defense dates from late 2017 (AJ vs. Takam) and it is expected that the next bout AJ vs. Ruiz II is the mandatory WBO defense (probably Uysk). So we would be on three years without mandatory defense. I think the title will be declared vacant in late 2019 or early 2020. For what fight? Pulev vs Fury? Pulev vs. Povetkin (if he beats Hughie Fury)?
I'd imagine it's Fury vs Pulev, but I wouldn't mind seeing Pulev Povetkin, one good fight there and one very average fight there. A win over Pulev would solidify Fury as the number 1 in the division however
They can't just strip the title away. A mandatory has to be ordered, something you yourself highlighted. Pulev filed a petition for the mandatory spot, so we should hear something soon. Before that, nothing will happen.
The champion have to alert the IBF that they plan on fighting in a unification in which the IBF would then allow that fighter to unify with the intent of fighting the mandatory afterwards or vacate(Bud Crawford).. If the fighter don’t file a petition to unify then the ibf orders the purse bid in which its to late for the fighter to back out and say they are unifying..
