WBC orders Spence to defend title vs. Thurman

Errol Spence Jr. could support his unified welterweight title against Keith Thurman adjacent aft the WBC ordered the mandatory rubric combat connected Wednesday astatine its normal successful Mexico.

Spence, 32, who holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts astatine 147 pounds, was successful precocious talks to combat Terence Crawford, but aft negotiations collapsed, helium inactive needs a challenger for his adjacent defense.

Crawford, who volition support his WBO rubric against David Avanesyan connected Dec. 10, said past week that helium expected Spence to combat Thurman.

Both Spence and Thurman combat for Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions, and organizations often lone bid bouts erstwhile a promoter has a woody successful place. However, Spence has been steadfast that helium would ne'er springiness Thurman a changeable astatine his 3 titles due to the fact that Thurman showed nary involvement successful warring him years ago.

Organizations often bid rubric fights betwixt champions and contenders, but Spence could ever elite to relinquish the belt, portion Thurman could take to prosecute a antithetic fight. The mandates aren't binding, and the sides inactive person to travel to a woody successful these instances.

Eimantas Stanionis is besides waiting for his WBA rubric shot, portion Jaron "Boots" Ennis pushes for his IBF rubric opportunity. But Thurman, a erstwhile unified welterweight champion, appears to beryllium next.

Thurman, 33, has been inactive successful caller years, but ended a 31-month layoff successful February with a unanimous determination implicit Mario Barrios. Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) is ESPN's No. 7 welterweight. His lone decision came successful 2019, a split-decision nonaccomplishment to Manny Pacquiao.

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) picked up a 3rd rubric with a 10th-round TKO triumph implicit Yordenis Ugas successful April. He besides owns rubric victories implicit Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter (Thurman besides defeated Danny Garcia and Porter.)

The WBC ordered a fistful of different rubric fights -- and rubric eliminators -- astatine its yearly convention.

The enactment antecedently said Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. would conscionable successful an eliminator to find a mandatory challenger for the heavyweight rubric held by Tyson Fury.

Devin Haney, the undisputed lightweight champion, is successful talks to look Vasiliy Lomachenko adjacent year, and successful the meantime, the WBC ordered an eliminator betwixt Shakur Stevenson and Isaac Cruz.

The WBC's mandates appeared to bespeak respective different fighters moving up successful value too Stevenson.

At 126 pounds, a rematch betwixt Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa was ordered for the interim featherweight title. Fulton outpointed Figueroa successful a 122-pound rubric unification successful 1 of 2021's champion enactment fights.

At 118 pounds, Nonito Donaire and Jason Moloney were matched up for the bantamweight rubric held by Naoya Inoue. Inoue plans to leap to 122 pounds aft helium fights Paul Butler connected Dec. 13 successful an undisputed bantamweight title bout.

Rey Vargas, who is moving up to 130 pounds, is lined up to conscionable O'Shaquie Foster for the rubric vacated by Stevenson successful January.

At middleweight, Jermall Charlo, who hasn't competed since June 2021, was ordered to combat Carlos Adames.

And astatine ace middleweight, the WBC announced that the highly anticipated David Benavidez-Caleb Plant combat volition determine a mandatory challenger for boxing's apical star, Canelo Alvarez.