CARDIFF — Heavyweight icon Lennox Lewis has weighed in on the upcoming December 11 clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua at Principality Stadium, asserting that both fighters are entitled to compete for the WBA ‘super’ heavyweight title. The matchup, which serves as the event headliner, has drawn scrutiny regarding whether the combatants merit a world title opportunity following recent performances against limited opposition.
The WBA ‘super’ title became available after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his belts following an 11-round victory over Rico Verhoeven. Murat Gassiev, who holds the WBA ‘regular’ belt, defended his status in July with a sixth-round knockout of Peter Kadiru. The prospect of Fury and Joshua fighting for the ‘super’ title has raised questions about the legitimacy of the championship landscape, but Lewis remains pragmatic about the opportunity.
“If the title’s out there – take it, grab it. I believe so [they deserve it],” Lewis told Playbook Boxing. When pressed on whether the eventual winner would be viewed as a traditional champion, Lewis added, “Well, I hope so, because who wants to be a paper champion?”
Anthony Joshua, 36, has expressed his intention to unify the division should he emerge victorious against Fury. The former champion stated he would seek a bout with Gassiev to resolve any ambiguity surrounding the rightful holder of the WBA heavyweight crown.