Boxing’s Dirty Secret: Why Top Fighters Keep Skipping Mandatories

By Billie Sloane, IFL TV

Let’s call it what it is—dodging mandatories has become a sport within the sport. Some of boxing’s biggest stars seem to treat their mandatory challengers like an inconvenient speed bump on the road to bigger paydays and headline-grabbing showdowns. And who can blame them? When there’s more money on the table for facing a fellow superstar rather than a relatively unknown contender, the business side of boxing often wins out. But here’s the question: should fighters be punished for it?

It’s a debate that splits fans, fighters, and promoters down the middle. Is it about fairness and giving every contender their shot, or are mandatories just an outdated concept in an era driven by marketability and box office numbers?

The Case for Mandatories: Fair Play and Deserving Contenders

Mandatory challengers are supposed to be the great equalizer in boxing—a guarantee that the top contenders can’t be ignored or frozen out by politics or popularity. They represent fairness in a sport that’s often anything but. Without mandatories, how many deserving fighters would never get a sniff at a title shot simply because they don’t have the right promoter or the biggest following?

Look at Dillian Whyte—a prime example of a fighter who was forced to wait over 1,000 days for his shot at the WBC heavyweight title. While he was stuck in line, others leapfrogged him, thanks to bigger names and bigger purses. Whyte’s story isn’t unique; it’s a glaring example of how the system can sometimes fail fighters who’ve worked their way to the top the hard way.

Mandatory challengers also ensure that titleholders stay sharp by facing a variety of styles and opponents, not just the fights that suit them best. Boxing is about proving you’re the best in every sense, not just in the matchups you choose for yourself.

But Wait… Isn’t Boxing a Business Too?

Here’s the other side of the argument: boxing is a business. And like any business, the goal is to maximize profit and legacy. If a fighter like Canelo Alvarez or Tyson Fury can earn ten times the purse by fighting a marquee name rather than fulfilling a mandatory obligation, is it really fair to punish them for chasing the bigger opportunity?

Fighters have short careers. Every fight is a chance to secure their financial future, and not all mandatories bring the same level of interest—or money. Imagine penalizing a fighter for passing on a mandatory when a unification bout or a superfight is right around the corner. Would fans really prefer to see a champion fight a lesser-known contender over a blockbuster bout that could define their career?

Take Anthony Joshua, for instance. At times, Joshua had to choose between fulfilling mandatory obligations and pursuing high-profile fights that the fans demanded. Balancing those competing interests is no small task. Penalizing fighters for these choices could force them into bouts that don’t make sense for their career trajectory or the sport’s broader narrative.

Where’s the Line?

The real question is: where do we draw the line? Should there be more flexibility in how mandatories are enforced? Could we create exceptions for fighters who are chasing unification bouts or fighting top-ranked opponents from other governing bodies? Or should mandatory obligations always take priority, no matter what?

Fighters like Jermall Charlo have faced criticism for not taking certain fights, yet the mandatory system itself often complicates matters further. What happens when multiple governing bodies impose mandatory defenses at the same time? Fighters can’t be in two rings at once, so how do we avoid this mess without stripping them of their belts?

Collaboration and Compromise

If boxing wants to solve the mandatory dilemma, the solution might be collaboration rather than punishment. Governing bodies should work together to align their mandatory schedules and prioritize unification fights over lesser-known challengers. Fans want to see the best fight the best, and that often means looking beyond a rigid list of mandatory contenders.

But that raises another question—would the powerhouses of boxing be willing to collaborate, or will politics continue to get in the way?

What Would Penalizing Fighters Look Like?

Let’s entertain the idea of penalties for a moment. What would that even look like? Fines? Suspension? Stripping fighters of their belts if they refuse to face a mandatory? All of these options come with consequences that could cause more harm than good. Stripping a champion often devalues the belt and leaves fans questioning its legitimacy.

On the flip side, holding champions accountable could restore some balance to the sport and ensure that the belts actually mean something. After all, how many times have we seen belts sit dormant for months—or even years—while champions pursue other opportunities?

What Would This Mean for the Fans?

Ultimately, the fans should be the priority. And fans want clarity, fairness, and big fights. The mandatory system has its flaws, but it also serves a purpose: it forces champions to stay active and defend their titles against worthy challengers. Without it, the risk is that boxing becomes a free-for-all, with belts circulating between a handful of marketable stars while legitimate contenders are left on the sidelines.

So here’s the question for you, the fans:

How do we ensure that the mandatory system remains fair without stifling fighters’ careers and opportunities?

Boxing, like life, is rarely black and white. The mandatory system is far from perfect, but it’s also one of the few checks and balances in a sport that often feels like the Wild West. Whether fighters should be penalized for avoiding mandatories is a debate worth having—but the answer, as always, lies somewhere in the grey.

So what do you think, Punish or protect? Honor the system or reform it? One thing’s for sure—boxing’s mandatory debate isn’t going away anytime soon.

Billie Sloane takes a ‘no holes barred’ approach as he has his say on some of the major talking points in the crazy world that is boxing.