Will it be unification fight if Ruiz wins next week???

[bigman1968]

Hope he wins, btw.

If AJ will win, Eddie will not allow him in the same city with Wilder, until Wilder will way pass 40-(((

[Finkel]

If Ruiz wins, it would make sense for a unification match with Wilder. But he may prefer to defend the IBF against Pulev first.

I think Pulev would push for the IBF to be stripped if he doesn't face him first.

If Joshua wins, I imagine he will defend the IBF against Pulev. Then potentially try to re-unify the WBO. Then go back to try and become undisputed against the WBC champ.

You would have to think the WBO will be fought for between Usyk / Whyte. Both with connections to matchroom, so it would be the obvious play.

[Enlightened-One]

Tyson Fury has two fights remaining of his contract with ESPN/Top Rank, which ‘The Gypsy King’ claims is compelling him to compete exclusively on US shores and by his own admission ruling out any potential AJ bout.

Deontay Wilder will almost certainly have an immediate rematch clause included in his contract for his 22nd February 2020 fight against Tyson Fury.

The PBC doesn’t recognise the WBO. And Eddie Hearn claims that if AJ wins the Ruiz Jr. rematch, the WBO title will be vacated, with Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora competing for the vacant belt.

This means that either AJ or Ruiz Jr. will be compelled to perform a mandatory IBF title defence against Kubrat Pulev next (assuming there isn’t a rematch clause included in next weekend’s bout).

So there won’t be any heavyweight title unification bouts happening anytime soon and it’ll have nothing whatsoever to do with “fear” – simply business.

[Boxtune]

If Ruiz wins, it would make sense for a unification match with Wilder. But he may prefer to defend the IBF against Pulev first.

If Joshua wins, I imagine he will defend the IBF against Pulev. Then potentially try to re-unify the WBO. Then go back to try and become undisputed against the WBC champ.

You forget to add " Then if he wins, potentially try to...

[bigman1968]

Tyson Fury has two fights remaining of his contract with ESPN/Top Rank, which ‘The Gypsy King’ claims is compelling him to compete exclusively on US shores and by his own admission ruling out any potential AJ bout.

Deontay Wilder will almost certainly have an immediate rematch clause included in his contract for his 22nd February 2020 fight against Tyson Fury.

The PBC doesn’t recognise the WBO. And Eddie Hearn claims that if AJ wins the Ruiz Jr. rematch, the WBO title will be vacated, with Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora competing for the vacant belt.

This means that either AJ or Ruiz Jr. will be compelled to perform a mandatory IBF title defence against Kubrat Pulev next (assuming there isn’t a rematch clause included in next weekend’s bout).

So there won’t be any heavyweight title unification bouts happening anytime soon and it’ll have nothing whatsoever to do with “fear” – simply business.

Unification don’t have priority over mandatories???

[Finkel]

If Ruiz wins, it would make sense for a unification match with Wilder. But he may prefer to defend the IBF against Pulev first.

If Joshua wins, I imagine he will defend the IBF against Pulev. Then potentially try to re-unify the WBO. Then go back to try and become undisputed against the WBC champ.

You forget to add " Then if he wins, potentially try to...

Yes, fair enough. If he gets past Pulev. There are no certainties as you rightfully point out

[Finkel]

That part I wrote about Usyk facing off against Whyte is also wrong. I never even noticed he had been removed from the rankings.

[Enlightened-One]

Tyson Fury has two fights remaining of his contract with ESPN/Top Rank, which ‘The Gypsy King’ claims is compelling him to compete exclusively on US shores and by his own admission ruling out any potential AJ bout.

Deontay Wilder will almost certainly have an immediate rematch clause included in his contract for his 22nd February 2020 fight against Tyson Fury.

The PBC doesn’t recognise the WBO. And Eddie Hearn claims that if AJ wins the Ruiz Jr. rematch, the WBO title will be vacated, with Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora competing for the vacant belt.

This means that either AJ or Ruiz Jr. will be compelled to perform a mandatory IBF title defence against Kubrat Pulev next (assuming there isn’t a rematch clause included in next weekend’s bout).

So there won’t be any heavyweight title unification bouts happening anytime soon and it’ll have nothing whatsoever to do with “fear” – simply business.

Unification don’t have priority over mandatories???

It’s usually at the discretion of the governing bodies, but either way, I can’t see winners of the Wilder-Fury and Joshua-Ruiz Jr. fights competing against each other immediately, without engaging in interim title bouts.

I don’t think there’s been a mandatory IBF title defence performed since the 28th October 2017, so it’s well overdue and the IBF granted Ruiz Jr. an exception for him to retain ownership of his strap whilst competing in the Anthony Joshua rematch.

[Bandog]

If AJ wins, you can bet Hearn will want to milk the cow for at least 2 fights before fighting the Wilder\Fury winner.

[Onetimeonly]

Wilder and fury have a deal for a 3rd fight already.

[drunkenpiper36]

Reading all the responses above, it doesn’t sound like it

[Winter king]

I think Ruiz has a good chance to defeat Wilder if he can get in his face really close. The key to defeat Wilder is in the inside and as fast as possible. Ruiz has good power and he is fast and puts togather crips combos in the inside.

[Enlightened-One]

AJ said yesterday that he plans to engage in a third bout against Ruiz Jr., if he emerges victorious this weekend and also perform a mandatory defence of the IBF title against Kubrat Pulev, which will scupper the possibility of him facing the winner of Wilder-Fury until the second half of 2021.

The winner of the Wilder-Fury rematch is also obliged to face Dillian Whyte before the end of February 2021. And if 'The Gypsy King' defeats 'The Bronze Bomber' they'll inevitably have an immediate rematch, which will be the third bout of their trilogy.

Tyson Fury has also written-off the likelihood of him facing Anthony Joshua until he's completed the remainder of his deal with ESPN.

The WBO strap is going to be vacated regardless the outcome of this weekend's bout between AJ & Ruiz Jr.

If Ruiz Jr. beats Joshua this weekend, the IBF might strip him of his title, since they've already granted him one exception to face AJ. And the IBF are a stickler for their rules, so they might declare the title vacant if Andy attempts to face Deontay Wilder next instead of Kubrat Pulev.

The thing is, Kubrat Pulev is a Top Rank/ESPN fighter, with Andy aligned with the PBC, so this is likely to happen.

[danconnollyeire]

Depends, could be decently timed for Ruiz vs Fury/Wilder early summer/late Spring. Hamon could pay off the bodies to delay mandatory's. Or he could fight Pulev in Spring and Fury/Wilder in September/October

[Heretic]

If AJ finds a way to defeat Ruiz in the rematch he will stay the hell away from him for the rest of hes career