Arum: If Whyte Presses For Fury Shot, I'm Sure WBC Would Make Fury 'Franchise' Champ

As BoxingScene.com reported on Monday, heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has taken legal action against the World Boxing Council - in order to enforce his mandatory shot at their world title.

Whyte has been the top rated contender since 2018. He captured the WBC's interim-title in July 2019 with a twelve round decision win over Oscar Rivas.

The WBC issued an order last fall, indicating that Whyte would receive his mandatory shot by February 2021.

Tyson Fury is the current WBC heavyweight champion. He is contracted to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight by the end of the year.

In recent interviews, both Fury and his co-promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, made it very clear that a two-fight series with unified champion Anthony Joshua is the next order of business on their agenda.

A two fight series with Joshua would occupy the entire year, which in turn would push back Whyte's mandatory shot until 2022.

Arum is working things out with the WBC - claiming that it's unfair to have Fury satisfy a mandatory order when the entire sport was put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If Whyte continues to press the issue with his legal case, Arum believes the WBC will simply make Fury a 'franchise' champion. If that happens, Whyte will be elevated to the status of full champion.

The WBC made similar rulings when Jermall Charlo pressed for his mandatory shot against Canelo Alvarez, and when Devin Haney pressed for his mandatory against Vasiliy Lomachenko.

A 'franchise' champion has no mandatory obligations.

"The mandatory situations are being worked out by all the organisations. It’s unfair to accelerate mandatories or keep them where they were because of the fact these fighters couldn’t fight for most of this year. Dillian Whyte can fight for an ‘interim’ title or whatever makes him happy, and after Joshua and Fury have their two fights [Whyte can fight the winner]," Arum told Talk Sport.

“It’s probably better if Dillian Whyte fights Usyk to get a real contender. I think boxing is gonna be totally different after this coronavirus is over.

“People are working together, people wanna make the best fights, they’re not gonna be tied down with mandatories. And I know if Dillian Whyte presses for a mandatory with Fury, I’m sure Mauricio [Sulaiman] would make Fury the ‘franchise’ champion, just the way he did with Lomachenko and Canelo. Then we don’t have to worry about nonsense mandatories."