WBO mandatory might get called for AJ [source]

[joshj909]

http://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12 ... le-defence

"With respect to our WBO heavyweight champion Mr. Anthony Joshua, be advised that Joshua has 180 days counting from the date of his last compulsory defence (after the Alexander Povetkin bout) to fulfil his mandatory defence obligations."

"Be advised that at this time the WBO has yet to determine if a WBO heavyweight elimination contest will be ordered.

"Further, the involvement of our WBO international heavyweight champion Mr. Dillian Whyte in a WBO heavyweight elimination bout is uncertain."

He only won the WBO belt 4 months ago, though the last WBO mandatory was made Sep 2017 against Hughie. Also, this comes a couple of weeks after Joshua just got made the "Super Champion" which mean the only has to defend once every 18 months? and apparently Usyk could also move up and become mandatory in 18 months time?

The mention of Whyte tells me this is Hearn's doing. Whyte v Joshua in April maybe?

One thing that interests me is whether they call for Whyte to fight an eliminator, as they refused to call the Parker v Whyte fight a final eliminator when Hearn requested. Looking at the rankings, it could be Miller? Schwarz? Fujimoto? it starts looking fairly easy for him the further you go down

[Stuarty]

I bet Hearn came in his knickers when he heard this!

[Enlightened-One]

I don’t understand this…

So the WBO concede that AJ is performing a compulsory defence of his WBO title against Povetkin and according to their own rules, he shouldn’t need to do so again for another twelve months, but for some reason, they’re only allowing him 180 days.

Here’s what the WBO’s rules state:

“For reasons unique to the Heavyweight Division, the WBO World Champion in the Heavyweight Division shall defend his title at intervals not greater than twelve (12) months counting from the date of the acquisition thereof or from the last compulsory defense as the case may be in a twelve (12) round fight...”

The WBO’s rules imply that they regard a compulsory defence as being synonymous with facing the mandatory challenger (i.e. not the same as a voluntary defence).

Anthony Joshua is already facing the WBO’s highest-ranked title challenger, Alexander Povetkin, on the 22nd September.

AJ is then scheduled to make his ring return seven months later, on the 13th April, which is more than three weeks after the WBO’s 180-day deadline.

Also, I could be wrong about this, but the WBO hasn’t even determined who the mandatory challenger for Joshua’s title is yet, but with the Brit performing a compulsory defence of his WBO title on the 22nd September, this implies that Alexander Povetkin currently holds this moniker.

I guess it doesn’t really matter that much though, because if Anthony Joshua doesn’t face Deontay Wilder next, then he’ll likely face Dillian Whyte instead, who happens to be the next highest-rated WBO title challenger (after Povetkin).

This is something that Eddie Hearn had already planned a long time ago.