Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua could get a shot at the WBC interim title following the sanctioning body’s decision to approve a fight between Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that the winner of the Zhang-Kabayel bout could face Joshua, offering the British-Nigerian a new path to heavyweight glory without immediate rematches against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk.
“The WBC has received a formal request to sanction this fight for the interim title, and we will accept it”, Sulaiman told The Independent. “We’ve been clear and transparent in supporting the best possible matchups, especially in the heavyweight division”.
Joshua, who suffered a knockout defeat to Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September, had been linked with a rematch, but the IBF champion is now set to defend his title against Joseph Parker in February.
The WBC’s decision comes as Fury and Usyk prepare for their 21 December unification showdown, following Usyk’s unanimous victory over Fury in May. Usyk’s subsequent vacation of the IBF belt led to Dubois being elevated to full champion status.
“For the winner on 21 December, there are many options”, Sulaiman added.
“Whether it’s a trilogy fight, a rematch for undisputed status, or another high-level event, we want to ensure the champion remains active while delivering sensational fights”.
The opportunity represents a potential fast track back to world honours for the 35-year-old Joshua, with No.2-ranked Kabayel set to face No.4-ranked Zhang, who sit either side of the often-avoided Martin Bakole in the WBC rankings.
