According to World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman, if Anthony Joshua defeats Francis Ngannou, he would take the top spot in the WBC rankings. Joshua is the previous heavyweight champion.
Sulaiman, however, maintains that a possible rematch with Tyson Fury would probably have to wait since he is already committed to that fight.
On March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Joshua will square off against Ngannou in his fourth fight in as many months, having previously defeated Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin.
After falling short of Fury in his first fight in October of last year, Ngannou will be participating in only his second professional boxing match.
After losing to Usyk in September 2021, Joshua relinquished his titles as WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO champion. Since then, he has turned his career around.
And if Sulaiman wins in March, he claims that his ascent to the top of the WBC rankings will have been accomplished.
“The WBC ranked Anthony Joshua when he first turned professional. He continued to rise, ranking inside the top five, and when he was given the chance to compete for another title (the IBF), he was ranked number two,” he said to gambling.com.
