Sulaiman has not received a request from Fury for a title sanction.

True, but not if your defence is already overdue and there's an interim beltholder in place.
But in all fairness, it's not like the WBC won't bend the rules a little if it's in their best ($$$) interest.

 

Sounds like they're making this as cheap to stage and low risk as possible.

 

How can a man thats neved been knocked out be packing glass?

Honestly mate, worry more about your boys awful recent opposition

 

It's going to be a WBC title defense, unless there's a plan afoot to give the WBC belt back to Wilder - as someone already mentioned.

 

I really hope this doesn't become a non title fight. For all that i think Fury is a tremendous fighter (when he needs to be) he's never actually defended a world title. c'mon Tyson fight someone decent.

 

Not at heavyweight. Unless it is an exhibition. Or there has been a WBC rule change (possible). But if there has been, I missed it. I don't recall a WBC heavyweight champion ever having a non-title fight.

If Fury decides to fight Takam, I could see the WBC sliding Takam into the #15 spot, which would solve the problem. They could make whoever he fights an exhibition, which would also allow him to keep the belt. But, if it is an exhibition, I doubt he'd get the same fat check from ESPN, which is where the money for this fight is going to come from.

The WBC has an 'interim' title. If the WBC champ is stripped or vacates, the interim champ becomes the champ. Povetkin is currently the WBC interim champ. He and Whyte are fighting for that belt again next month.

If Fury vacates or is stripped before the fight next month, Povetkin will just be named the WBC heavyweight champ before the Whyte fight ... and Fury will just be the Ring champ.

 

I believe Fury just planned on grabbing his big check from ESPN, no matter who the guy is.

The problem is, he is WBC champ. And you can't just fight anyone. And if you're a WBC contender getting a WBC heavyweight title fight, you want to get paid, too.

So they are back to the same problem they had with Fury-Wilder III. There's no gate. And Fury will want $20+ million from ESPN. But ESPN will want him to fight someone for that, and I don't think they'll pay him that much for an exhibition. And the challenger is going to want title fight money, too.

Seems like Arum and Warren are trying to accomodate Fury's wishes of fighting in December, but the WBC belt they won has a set of rules that goes along with it, no matter how loose those rules are.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

Kabayel, young, unbeaten and with some status, may want more than they want to pay for risking his unbeaten status. He may also be worth more to Arum than could be generated for top rank, especially with a fight in the UK. If they go far enough down the food chain they won't need to spend much. Keane or Takam wouldn't have as much to lose and would probably be happy to take whatver's available. Course they could be in negotiations with all of the above and others and they're just trying to get the price down?

As for the WBC rules. They will be flexible, citing Coronavirus and this will probably be an exhibition status. I can't see them wanting to get in the way of a big series of fights next year which will rake it in for them at a time when everyone is desperate to earn.

 

I agree. I think the WBC would like to be accomodating. But if Fury's team doesn't contact the WBC about the opponent, and they don't pay the WBC fee, the WBC will bounce him regardless.

Sometimes fighters just decide the won't pay the fee and that's why it is stripped. If the fighter refuses to pay, sometimes the promoter will step up and say he'll pay it.

But I don't know if Arum will fork over $600,000 or so for Fury's sanctioning fee for a fight where he (Arum) will make no money. And I don't know if ESPN will even want to pay him to fight a no name.

Fury signed a five-fight deal with them, this will be the fourth fight in that deal, and only one of them was a big fight (against Wilder). I don't think they planned to pay him that much to face Schwarz, Wallin and TBA. ESPN may want him to sit out until the Johsua fights. It's kind of a mess.

We'll see how it plays out.

 

I suspect the December fight won't count as the fourth out of the five. Warren said that they'd all worked very hard to get Fury what he wanted, a run-out before the end of the year. My guess is that this work involved an extension/amendment to the top rank agreement. Otherwise this fight would be taking place in the US at a time suitable for ESPN.

Doing this one separate to their deal means Fury doesn't get a massive paycheck and the WBC percentage wouldn't be so big either if they needed to pay it. As I said I don't think that will happen. Instead the WBC will be reassured they will be front and centre on the 2 AJ fights and they'll get their percentage and prestige from that.

It's another reason why everything points to a low cost, low risk opponent. Everyone has too much at stake in the forthcoming series with Joshua to risk an upset.

 

Nah theyve just created a whole new division just to give Wilder a belt so hes sorted.

 

Could be negotiating ploy though? Trying to bring some of the demands down from potential opponents.

This fight won't generate much revenue, the Wallin fight proved the refereeing will be on Fury's side and probably the judging also. It's more than likely a loss for whoever takes it. I bet there's not much in the pot once Fury's been paid.