WBA: Joshua-Klitschko Winner Could Be Granted Voluntary Permit

By Elliot Foster

Anthony Joshua could be granted a “special permit” not to face mandatory challenger Luis Ortiz.

The IBF heavyweight champion defends his belt against Wladimir Klitschko on April 29, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office, in a showdown at Wembley Stadium Connected by EE.

Joshua and Klitschko will also vie for the vacant WBA ‘Super’ and IBO belts in front of 90,000 spectators in a fight which will be universally recognised as the biggest in British boxing history.

And the WBA has confirmed that, should the 27-year-old undefeated man beat the former two-time champion on Saturday, he will receive the organisation's backing to select his next move despite Ortiz's number one ranking.

"It's an open window," WBA president Gilberto J Mendoza exclusively told Sky Sports.

"The winner is entitled to ask for a special permit if the event merits it. But Ortiz is the mandatory contender.

"It's in writing that Luis Ortiz should be the next opponent for the winner. I know sometimes boxing allows things to happen in a different way –– it would have to be something very important to consider [Ortiz not fighting the winner].”

Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Olympic gold medal winner Joshua, had previously explained that Joshua may be forced to vacate either the IBF –– which he won in style against Charles Martin back in April 2016 before having two defences against Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina –– or WBA belt, if he beats Klitschko, because each governing body would demand a different challenger.

While the WBA is pushing for Cuba’s Ortiz, who had two fights under Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing banner towards the back end of last year, to get the shot at the winner, the International Boxing Federation, whose belt Joshua holds, has Kubrat Pulev as its number one contender.

Sky Sports Box Office will show Joshua v Klitschko exclusively live on April 29. To book go to www.skysports.com/joshua.

Showtime will show the fight live while HBO have the delayed broadcast.