By Patrick McHugh: The World Boxing Organization has given WBO heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to show cause for why they shouldn’t strip him of his WBO belt. The deadline for Fury is until October 17th, as the letter the WBO sent to him was on October 7.
If Fury fails to respond by that date, he’ll be stripped of his WBO title. Fury failed a drug test on September 22 by VADA. Fury needs to explain why he’s been inactive for almost a year, and he’ll likely need to give a time estimate for when he can return to the ring.
He’ll also need to speak on the positive drug test results for the banned substance cocaine. What’s not known is whether the WBO will want Fury to appear or if it will suffice for him to send a letter to the WBO explaining everything.
Fury pulled out of his long overdue rematch with Wladimir Klitschko last month on September 23. There was a press release saying that Fury was medically unfit to fight. Fury was supposed to be fighting Wladimir on October 29, which would have been 11 months after Fury captured Wladimir’s WBO title in November 2015.
If Fury gives a good enough reasons to explain what happened with all the issues hanging over his head, then the WBO could give him as long as 180 days to take care of his problems before he would be expected to return to the ring in 2017. While Fury is out of the ring, his WBA and WBO titles will likely be fought over by Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz for the WBO strap, and Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko for the WBA title.
The winner of those fights could potentially be given the interim belts if Fury isn’t stripped officially by the organizations. He could then come back when he’s taken care of his problems and fight for those titles. This is under a best case scenario for Fury with him NOT being stripped by the sanctioning bodies.
Right now, it’s hard to imagine Fury being able to hold onto his titles given his inactivity and more importantly his positive drug test last month. He would need to explain why he tested positive. Fury’s ‘B’ sample would need to be tested to see if that came up positive as well.
Parker and Ruiz could be fighting on December 10 for Fury’s WBO title if the sanctioning bodies choose to strip him of his belt.
“Everyone at the WBO is concerned for your health, well-being, happiness and prospects for a full and complete recovery,” said WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista-Salas via ringtv.com.
Fury needs to have his ‘B’ sample tested, and the results given to the WBO. They’re going to want to know this.
Fury could wind up having his boxing license revoked by the British Boxing Board of Control for his positive drug test.
Fury might wind up vacating his WBA and WBO titles rather than waiting for them to be stripped from him by the sanctioning bodies.