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Last Updated: 23/12/19 9:29pm
Who will become Britain’s next world champion? Tyson Fury, Lawrence Okolie and Derek Chisora are among a crop of Brits who are targeting world titles in 2020…
Unified champions Anthony Joshua and Josh Taylor lead the list of Britain’s current world champions, but who will win the race to join them as a title holder in the coming months?
We’ve picked out five fighters that are all hoping to savour world glory…
Lawrence Okolie
The unbeaten cruiserweight has already received confirmation that he will fight Krzysztof Glowacki for the vacant WBO belt, with a venue and date to be confirmed.
Okolie is confident of victory, having utilised his long reach and destructive power while claiming British, Commonwealth and European titles, but the 27-year-old is taking a sizeable step up in class against Poland’s Glowacki, who is a former WBO title holder.
Tyson Fury
A former unified world champion, Fury was denied a new title reign when he was held to a draw by Deontay Wilder 12 months ago, but a rematch is set to be staged again in February, with the WBC heavyweight title again at stake.
Fury has replaced Ben Davison with new trainer Sugarhill Steward ahead of the second fight and the fitter, sharper 31-year-old will be confident of neutralising Wilder’s ferocious power to join Anthony Joshua as a world champion in the top division.
Luke Campbell
A former Olympic gold medallist, Campbell has also dared to be great in the professional ranks as he emerged with pride from a points defeat in August to Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is widely regarded as the world’s finest fighter.
Campbell fell short in his second world title fight, having also lost to Jorge Linares for a WBA belt, but he is set to be rewarded for his perseverance, with the WBC ordering him to face Javier Fortuna for the vacant WBC belt after Devin Haney was made ‘champion in recess’ after shoulder surgery.
Dillian Whyte
The WBC has reinstated Whyte as the WBC ‘interim’ champion after he was cleared by UK Anti-Doping, with a mandatory title shot to be enforced by February 2021, but ‘The Body Snatcher’ might not have to wait until then.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is pushing for Whyte to be next in line for the winner of Wilder-Fury 2, although the Brixton heavyweight could even force his way into Joshua’s future plans as a bumper British battle appeals to both rivals.
Derek Chisora
Chisora has also forced his way into consideration for a world heavyweight title shot, with the Finchley fighter being put forward as a potential opponent for Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO’s mandatory challenger.
Manager David Haye has even suggested that Chisora could face Usyk for the vacant belt, if it is relinquished by Joshua, who is weighing up IBF and WBO mandatory fights, and the Brit veteran’s recent hot form has made him a viable opponent for a big name bout in 2020.
Sky Sports expert Johnny Nelson says…
Lawrence Okolie has got all the right attributes as a cruiserweight. He’s young, athletic, very tall for the weight, and could even compete at heavyweight and give them trouble.
I cannot see any reason why he can’t win a world title. He’s got bottle, he can punch, and he’s on a crest of a wave.
