By Elliot Foster
The winner of the world heavyweight title clash between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko may not be allowed to hold both titles for long.
Joshua and Klitschko meet on April 29, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on RTL in Germany, for the former’s IBF crown, the vacant WBA Super belt and the vacant IBO title.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is confident that the vacant Ring Magazine belt will also be at stake at Wembley Stadium in London in front of 90,000 people.
But either Joshua or Klitschko could lose one of the belts as quick as they have won them after both the WBA and the IBF have ordered the winner to fight different opponents.
Kalle and Nisse Sauerland have confirmed via Twitter that their Bulgarian fighter Kubrat Pulev, who is the mandatory challenger to the IBF bauble, must face the winner of Joshua-Klitschko.
They claim Pulev will get his shot next after the ruling that no interim fights are permitted.
And that news came hot on the heels of the WBA claiming that the winner of Joshua-Klitschko must next fight unbeaten Cuban Luis Ortiz, who is also signed to Eddie Hearn.
Joshua and Klitschko will find it hard to resolve this situation and the waters could yet be muddied further if the pair agree to a rematch.
Tyson Fury faced such fate after he outpointed 40-year-old Klitschko back in November, 2015. Due to having a rematch clause in the deal to face the Ukrainian, Fury lost his IBF belt –– which is now in the possession of Joshua –– due to being unable to make a mandatory defence against Vyacheslav Glazkov.
The winner of Joshua-Klitschko could face the same issue after their clash at the national, which sold 50,000 tickets on the first general sales session on Wednesday.
Pulev, 35, has registered four wins since being knocked out by Klitschko in round five of an IBF title fight two years ago. He won the European title, which he has since relinquished, in May by outpointing Dereck Chisora.
Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs), 37, has previously held the WBA interim title, was last in action on Joshua’s undercard on December 10 at Manchester Arena and would be an easy fight for Hearn to make.
Further details as to how this will pan out will be revealed in due course.