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Immediately after Tyson Fury's knockout victory over Dillian Whyte, the WBC Heavyweight Champion announced his retirement. He has since stuck to his guns on the announcement, though he has not yet vacated the title.
Michael Benson has reported that WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman may hold a tournament to crown a new champion if Fury vacates his title:
"WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has suggested that they could stage a tournament to determine a new WBC heavyweight champion if Tyson Fury does retire and vacate."
Benson also listed the top eight heavyweight fighters in the WBC rankings: Deontay Wilder, Joe Joyce, Joseph Parker, Frank Sanchez, Andy Ruiz Jr., Arslanbek Makhmudov, Dillian Whyte, and Luis Ortiz.
Professional boxing tournaments have increased in popularity somewhat in recent years, with events such as the Boxxer series and the World Boxing Super Series. A tournament to crown a new WBC Heavyweight Champion would undoubtedly be a major event, with a number of super-fights in a short span of time.
Tyson Fury's legacy, if he vacates now
If Tyson Fury vacates his WBC title now and truly stays out of the ring, his record will stand at 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts. He is a two-time Heavyweight World Champion and has held the WBA, WBO, IBF, OBO, WBC, and The Ring Titles.
'The Gypsy King' waded through the regional circuit before taking on Steve Cunningham at Madison Square Garden in 2013. He then rose to the peak of the heavyweight division with his shock upset victory over Wladimir Klitschko, the then-Unified World Champion, in 2015.
After claiming the title, Fury immediately went into retirement and disappeared from the ring for nearly three years. In 2018, he emerged again. He announced his intention to reclaim the title and took two tune-up fights with Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta before challenging Deontay Wilder, the then-WBC Heavyweight Champion.
Fury and Wilder met on December 1, 2018, and 'The Gypsy King' put on one of the greatest comeback performances in heavyweight history. Despite controlling much of the fight, the bout ended in a draw. A rematch in February 2020 saw Fury dethrone the champion, paving the way for a trilogy bout. In 2021, he knocked Wilder out in the 11th round.
Fury's legacy may not see him ranked as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. However, if he retires as the lineal heavyweight champion of the world he will have one of the most graceful exits and one of the most successful careers in boxing history.
