WBC considering tournament to determine new heavyweight world champion if Tyson Fury confirms retirement

THE WBC are considering a tournament to determine a new heavyweight world champion if Tyson Fury confirms his retirement.

Fury, 33, announced he was walking away on top after knocking out Dillian Whyte, 34, in front of 94,000 at Wembley.

The WBC have confirmed Fury has a year until he will be stripped of the belt, when a mandatory challenger will be called.

And the sanctioning body are still yet to get a definitive word on whether the Gypsy King will in fact remain retired.

If Fury's gloves do in fact remain hung up, the WBC are pondering a tournament between their contenders to determine a new belt holder.

Their president Mauricio Sulaiman told : “We have one year to have the next mandatory fight.

"At this moment, we will wait for the decision of Tyson Fury, and then we will either do a series of fights — a boxing tournament — going into a final elimination, but at this time we’re going to wait because we don’t know the specific circumstances.”

Anthony Joshua, 32, is set to rematch Oleksandr Usyk, 35, in July after defeat in September.

And the winner could then go on to set up an undisputed super-fight with Fury, 33, if he can be tempted back into the ring.

It leaves Sulaiman in no rush to push Fury for a final answer just yet.

FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS - BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS

He said: "We will give him the time he needs.

"I do not like to speculate. I would rather wait to give him his due time for his holiday. The WBC will certainly support him, whatever he decides.

"If he thinks it's time to hang up the gloves, enjoy life and be a successful family man and have a great future, we will support him. 

"If he decides to continue fighting, we will support him.";