Tyson Fury's chance to have a highly anticipated rematch with Deontay Wilder would take him through the path of Dillian Whyte after the World Boxing Council called for the two Brits to fight.
The Gypsy King was held to a controversial draw against the Bronze Bomber in their 1st December bout for the WBC Heavyweight Championship, but a rematch failed to be struck between both boxers' camps.
Now, WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán has said that the 30-year-old Brit would have to earn his way back into the title picture, which would mean that a showdown with Whyte would determine who Wilder's next mandatory opponent would be.
"When that fight [Wilder vs Fury rematch] falls through, the WBC goes back to the original mandate from the convention, saying that the winner or Wilder vs Fury has to do the mandatory against [Dominic] Breazeale," he told ThaBoxingVoice.
"So we go back to then, and then we order Whyte against Fury -- if both win their corresponding fights -- for the mandatory position.
"That decision was not accepted by Whyte, so the WBC is now handling Dillian Whyte's appeal and we will resolve it in the coming weeks.
"His petition to the WBC is to be the mandatory contender without fighting a final elimination. The WBC's position was to order him and Fury to fight for the interim title and for the mandatory position.
"So we are trying to do several big fights -- I'm sure that Whyte vs Fury is a huge fight as well -- to create these great fights in the heavyweight division."
Wilder is set to defend his title against Dominic Breazeale on 18th May at the Barclays Center in New York City.
Fury, on the other hand, is preparing to fight German boxer Tom Schwarz at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 15th June.
Meanwhile, Whyte will find himself trading blows with Óscar Rivas on 20th July at the O2 Arena.
Whyte or Fury to face Wilder?
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Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Tyson Fury, Bronze Bomber, Boxing News, Boxing, Dillian Whyte, Gypsy King, Deontay Wilder, WBC