Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua is already one of the biggest commercial events on the British boxing calendar.
Tickets for their 11 December meeting at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium reportedly sold out in less than an hour, with around 500,000 people attempting to secure seats.
Nobody can seriously question the commercial appeal of this contest.
But now we’re facing the ridiculous possibility that the winner could walk away as WBA heavyweight champion of the world.
And quite frankly, I think it makes a mockery of boxing.
According to Boxing News, promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have suggested that the vacant WBA ‘super’ heavyweight championship could be contested when Fury and Joshua finally meet.
The sanctioning body has yet to officially confirm that arrangement.
Nevertheless, the possibility of a Fury vs Joshua world title fight raises one very simple question.
What have either of them done recently to deserve it?
Filip Hrgovic Is Asking the Right Questions
IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic has already criticised the possibility of Fury and Joshua competing for another world championship.
And I find myself agreeing with him.
Hrgovic has earned his position in the heavyweight division through performances against genuine contenders, including his victory over Moses Itauma.
Meanwhile, Fury and Joshua are potentially being presented with another opportunity to become world champion despite neither man having established a convincing recent claim to the WBA’s leading championship.
Fury’s recent victories over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Mariusz Wach hardly represent the strongest possible case for another title opportunity.
Joshua’s wins against Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga are equally difficult to present as championship-level achievements.
I’m not questioning what either fighter has accomplished throughout his career.
Fury and Joshua have both been outstanding representatives of British heavyweight boxing, winning major championships and generating enormous interest in the sport.
But those achievements belong to their respective histories.
A world-title opportunity should be earned through what a fighter is doing now, not awarded because of what they achieved several years ago.
Otherwise, what exactly is the point of having a ranking system?
Selling 70,000 Tickets Doesn’t Make You a Worthy Challenger
Let’s make something absolutely clear.
I’m not suggesting Fury against Joshua lacks commercial appeal.
The ticket sales have already demonstrated otherwise.
With reports of approximately 500,000 people attempting to secure tickets, there’s clearly an enormous audience willing to pay to watch these two heavyweights finally meet.
But commercial popularity and sporting merit are two completely different things.
And I suspect a significant proportion of those attempting to secure tickets were dedicated boxing supporters rather than casual fans.
I’m one of those hardcore supporters myself. I’ve followed boxing for years, attended countless events and spent a considerable amount of time watching fighters develop from prospects into champions.
Yet I had absolutely no intention of buying a ticket for Fury against Joshua.
Not because I doubt the event will be successful.
But because I fundamentally disagree with what this contest represents, particularly if a world championship is attached to it.
I don’t believe the winner deserves to be handed a major heavyweight title simply because the event generates enormous amounts of money.
If selling tickets becomes the qualification for a world-title opportunity, we might as well abandon the rankings altogether.
The WBA Has a Responsibility to Protect Its Championship
This is where my biggest criticism lies.
I don’t blame Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren for wanting to make the biggest possible event.
Promoters are responsible for generating revenue, selling tickets and securing broadcasting agreements.
And I don’t blame Fury or Joshua for accepting another lucrative opportunity.
But the WBA has a responsibility that goes beyond making promoters happy.
It’s supposed to be a governing organisation responsible for recognising legitimate world champions.
Murat Gassiev already holds the WBA’s ‘regular’ heavyweight championship, yet the organisation could potentially sanction Fury against Joshua for its vacant ‘super’ title.
That would leave the WBA recognising two heavyweight champions, with the more prestigious version potentially awarded through a contest between two commercially attractive former titleholders.
How is that supposed to strengthen the credibility of professional boxing?
If the WBA believes Fury and Joshua deserve to contest its leading championship, it should be prepared to explain precisely why.
What recent results justify their selection?
Which deserving contenders have they overtaken?
And what sporting criteria have been applied?
These aren’t unreasonable questions.
They’re the absolute minimum supporters should expect from an organisation responsible for awarding world championships.
What About the Fighters Who Actually Earn Their Opportunities?
Imagine being a heavyweight contender who has spent years working towards a championship opportunity.
You’ve accepted difficult assignments, climbed the rankings and taken risks against dangerous opponents.
You’ve been told that performances matter and that winning the right fights will eventually earn you an opportunity.
Then two former champions are potentially offered a shortcut because their names can generate more money.
What incentive does that give anyone else to follow the established route?
And more importantly, what does it say about the value of becoming world champion?
I understand that championship rankings aren’t perfect.
They never have been.
But there has to be some attempt to maintain sporting integrity.
Otherwise, we’re no longer talking about a credible championship system.
We’re talking about a popularity contest.
And if that’s what professional boxing is becoming, the sport has a serious problem.
Fury vs Joshua Doesn’t Need a World Championship
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this entire situation is that the fight doesn’t need a championship.
The tickets have already sold.
The audience is clearly there.
Fury and Joshua are established names with enough history between them to generate interest without anyone pretending their meeting should determine a world champion.
So why complicate matters by attaching a belt?
If the WBA ultimately sanctions the contest for its ‘super’ heavyweight championship, it risks creating the impression that world titles are available whenever the commercial circumstances are attractive enough.
And that’s precisely the sort of decision that damages boxing’s credibility.
A world championship should represent the highest level of achievement within a division.
It shouldn’t be an additional selling point for an event that has already demonstrated its commercial appeal.
Money Shouldn’t Decide Who Becomes World Champion
I’ve been critical of Fury against Joshua before, and I don’t intend to repeat every argument I’ve already made about the contest.
But the possibility of a Fury vs Joshua world title fight deserves criticism in its own right.
This isn’t about their ages.
It isn’t about whether the event sells out.
And it certainly isn’t about denying either fighter the right to earn another substantial payday.
It’s about whether professional boxing is prepared to protect the credibility of its own championships.
If Fury and Joshua want to fight, let them.
If supporters want to pay to watch, that’s entirely their decision.
But don’t tell me that the winner automatically deserves to be recognised as a heavyweight world champion.
Neither fighter has demonstrated enough recently to justify that privilege, regardless of how many tickets they’ve sold or how much money the event generates.
And if the WBA decides otherwise, it will only reinforce my belief that boxing’s championship system is increasingly being shaped by commercial interests rather than sporting achievement.
For me, that’s unacceptable.
Because selling out a stadium is an achievement for a promoter.
Becoming world champion should be an achievement for a boxer.
And boxing needs to remember the difference.
Have Your Say: Should Money Buy a World-Title Opportunity?
Do you believe Fury and Joshua deserve to compete for the WBA heavyweight championship, or should they have to earn that opportunity against the division’s leading contenders?
And if you’re attending the fight, would a world title being on the line make the event any more meaningful to you?
I’d genuinely like to hear your views.
Leave your thoughts in the comments, share this article with fellow boxing supporters and tell me whether you think the WBA would be making a mistake.
For more independent boxing opinions, analysis and discussion, visit CMBoxing.
Because world championships should be earned in the ring, not awarded at the negotiating table.