Tyson Fury claims his meeting with Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas this Saturday could be contested for the WBO heavyweight title.
Fury fights for the first time since his thrilling draw with Deontay Wilder this weekend against Schwarz, who is undefeated in his 24 professional bouts.
Anthony Joshua lost the WBO title, along with the IBF and WBA (Super) straps, in his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr, with the latter now holding three of the division’s four world titles.
Ruiz could be stripped of the WBO belt however if chooses to fight Joshua in a lucrative rematch instead of taking on the organisation’s mandatory challenger first.
Joshua vs Ruiz II will happen later this year, according to Joshua’s camp – a scenario that would likely see the WBO title be made vacant.
And ahead of his Las Vegas debut, Fury believes that decision could be taken in the coming days.
"I'm hearing now that it could be on the line on Saturday night," Fury told Press Association Sport. "That's inside information so maybe I shouldn't have said that, though I've said it now anyway, so maybe it'll be on the line on Saturday night.
"There is a chance. It's highly doable, so I've been told, so maybe it'll be for the WBO championship as well.
"When you're the lineal champion that's as big as it gets. It doesn't get any bigger than that. It doesn't matter how many belts (the other heavyweights) have got; they've got to beat Tyson Fury to be number one.
"(If not) the winner of me and Tom Schwarz will be mandatory for the WBO, because it's number three and number two (in the rankings) fighting each other."
