“For me, I’m not fighting for no championship,” Joshua told The Ring’s CEO, Rick Reeno, on “The Mr. Verzace Podcast” recently. “I’m just fighting to be better than the man across the ring from me. I don’t care about no belt.”

Shortly after the 12-round bout between Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) and Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) was announced as Netflix’s headliner for a Ring card December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the WBA declared that its vacant “super” title would be at stake.

That doesn’t make sense to Joshua, a two-time unified champ and 2012 Olympic gold medalist.

When Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF, WBA and WBC titles in June, Murat Gassiev, who won the WBA secondary strap by stopping Kubrat Pulev in the sixth round in December 2025, was elevated to full champion. At the time, Gassiev was recognized as the heavyweight division’s lone WBA champion.

However, that will change in December, unless Fury-Joshua results in a draw or no-contest.

Fury, The Ring’s No. 3-ranked heavyweight, holds the No. 2 spot in the WBA’s rankings. Joshua is one spot behind him at No. 3 on the sanctioning body’s list of top 15 contenders.

The No. 1-ranked contender in the WBA, Jarrell Miller, is hoping to land a shot at Gassiev and his suddenly secondary title. The 32-year-old champion from Vladikavkaz, Russia, revealed in previous interviews that talks between his camp and Miller’s representatives are ongoing.

Joshua has always cared more about winning than hardware. But to a certain extent, he feels for Gassiev (34-2, 27 KOs) and his sudden demotion.

While he has no say in the matter, Joshua, who picked himself up off the deck twice to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, wants Gassiev to know that he still reveres him and everything that he’s accomplished.

“To Murat Gassiev, we still respect you as champion,” Joshua said. “He’s only done what he was supposed to do.”

Gassiev previously owned the IBF and WBA cruiserweight titles, before losing those belts to Usyk in their full unification fight in July 2018.