Tyson Fury is officially on the clock.

The WBO has given the troubled heavyweight unified titleholder 10 days to “show cause” why he shouldn’t be stripped of his WBO title for inactivity, breach of contract and flunking a drug test, according to a letter to Fury dated Oct. 10 from the WBO.

It’s not clear if the WBO wants to meet with Fury and his representatives or if written correspondence is enough. But Fury will have to apparently prove his innocence to the WBO in the next 10 days and show that his testing positive for cocaine on Sept. 22 and his pulling out of two rematches with Wladimir Klitschko were somehow warranted “because he is physically disabled for a justified cause,” according to the letter, which can be found on the WBO’s website.

If Fury, who holds THE RING, WBO and WBA titles, somehow proves his case, the WBO could grant Fury extra time to recover, granting him a disability extension “which shall not in total exceed 180 days,” according to the letter, quoting the WBO’s bylaws. The WBO could also order an interim championship bout be held while the titleholder “is incapacitated” or “inactive,” according to the letter. A bout between Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz could be held on Dec. 10 for the vacant WBO title if Fury is stripped.

“Everyone at the WBO is concerned for your health, well-being, happiness and prospects for a full and complete recovery,” wrote WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista-Salas in the missive. In the letter, the WBO also asks Fury if he’s had the ‘B’ sample tested yet to confirm or deny the initial positive test.

Fury hasn’t fought since he dethroned Klitschko last November, pulling out of a pair of rematches, most recently for a bout on Oct. 29 because, according to his promoter, he was “medically unfit” to fight. He has reportedly flunked two VADA-administered drug tests for cocaine and could also have his license revoked by the British Boxing Board of Control, which will review his situation on Wednesday. The WBA is also looking closely at his situation and could strip him of his title. Fury is reportedly considering vacating the titles as a way of beating the sanctioning bodies to the punch.

Struggling to locate a copy of RING magazine? Try here or…

SUBSCRIBE

You can subscribe to the print and digital editions of RING magazine by clicking the banner or here. You can also order the current issue, which is on newsstands, or back issues from our subscribe page. On the cover this month: Sugar Ray Leonard