WBC announces list of mandatory challengers

With the WBC convention coming to a close, the sanctioning body has clarified the mandatory challenger list for all 17 divisions, as reported by RingTV. Let’s take a look at some of the notable divisions…

Heavyweight: Bermane Stiverne and Alexander Povetkin will meet to decide the interim titlist, who would become mandatory challenger to Deontay Wilder. Johann Duhaupas, silver titlist, will be taking on Carlos Takam next month.

Light Heavyweight: Eleider Alvarez is set to face Lucian Bute in a WBC final eliminator, with the winner getting a shot at Adonis Stevenson. There hasn’t been a mandatory title defense in this division in three years.

Super Middleweight: The WBC/IBF unification winner between Badou Jack and James DeGale will have to face Callum Smith next, even the IBF orders their own mandatory title defense. The title unification may be short-lived.

Middleweight: This division hasn’t seen a mandatory title defense in four years (for various reasons). The number one contender, Jorge Heiland, has requested that he be officially named mandatory challenger for the title currently held by Gennady Golovkin. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman says the WBC board would like a four-man tournament to determine Golovkin’s mandatory challenger.

Junior Middleweight: Jermell Charlo must face silver titlist Chris Hatley on Feb. 11th or 18th.

Welterweight: There hasn’t been a mandatory title defense in two years. Amir Khan remains the mandatory challenger for Danny Garcia, but with Khan recovering from injury it appears to have paved the way for Garcia to unify titles with Keith Thurman in March. Khan has requested a few days to confirm that he’d like to maintain his mandatory challenger position.

Minus Khan, it was reportedly mentioned that Errol Spence Jr could face Timothy Bradley for the WBC’s mandatory challenger position. If Spence, who is currently the mandatory challenger to Kell Brook’s IBF title, decides to stay on the IBF route, Bradley could get the nod.

Junior Welterweight: Antonio Orozco will take on Amir Imam if he wins tomorrow. Viktor Postol will take on the highest rated available contender. The winner of those two fights would meet to determine Terence Crawford’s mandatory challenger.

Lightweight: Titlist Dejan Zlaticanin is set to face Mikey Garcia next month. The winner must face diamond champion Jorge Linares.

Junior Lightweight: Titlist Francisco Vargas will take on Miguel Berchelt next month. Takashi Muira will also be fighting Miguel Roman on the same day, Jan. 28th. The winner of those two fights will meet. Vargas-Muira II, anyone?

Featherweight: Titlist Gary Russell Jr will face interim titlist Oscar Escondon on Feb 11.

Junior Bantamweight: Titlist Roman Gonzalez will rematch Carlos Cuadras in March. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai gets a shot at the winner.