The WBO has provided two pieces of evidence that it intends to strip Anthony Joshua of its heavyweight title if Joshua follows through with the biggest fight in boxing, namely a world championship unification vs. WBC champion Tyson Fury. The first indication that the WBO is serious about striping Joshua is that it moved Joe Joyce (pictured) up to the number two spot in its rankings, behind only former world cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The WBO did this without issuing its December rankings. Earlier this month, Joyce defeated the previous occupant of the #2 spot, Daniel Dubois, so the move, while justifiable, shows that the WBO is prepared to act quicky and avoid any debate about the #2 spot. Joshua also holds the IBF and WBA championships, so if he goes ahead with a three-belt unification fight vs. Fury, Usyk and Joyce would battle for the vacant WBO belt.

Second, WBO president Paco Valcarcel publicly warned Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn on Twitter yesterday: "Anthony Joshua looked sensational against Kubrat Pulev. As to the World Boxing Organization belt, [Joshua's promoter] Eddie Hearn knows the meaning of commitment. The ball is in Hearn’s court." Valcarcel also tagged Usyk on the tweet.