Oleksandr Usyk and his Boxing titles: What next
Oleksandr Usyk’s reign as the undisputed world heavyweight champion was brief after he handed back the IBF belt, raising questions about the future of his other titles.
The Ukrainian star achieved a spectacular victory over Tyson Fury in May, unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. However, just a month later, his status as the undisputed champion ended.
Contracted to rematch Fury in December, Usyk was unable to make a mandatory defense of the IBF belt, leading to Daniel Dubois, the organization’s interim belt-holder, being upgraded to full champion in June.
Oleksandr Usyk confirmed his relinquishment of the IBF title in a social media video, and Anthony Joshua is set to challenge Dubois for the belt at Wembley on September 21.
The future of Usyk’s other titles is now under scrutiny. Former champion Joseph Parker, who earned a WBO Interim heavyweight strap in March by defeating Zhilei Zhang, is pushing for a mandatory shot at the full world championship. Parker’s promoter, David Higgins, stated that Parker is “next in line” for a crack at the WBO belt.
The WBA has its ‘regular’ heavyweight belt-holder, Mahmoud Charr, who also has ambitions for a major title. Michael Hunter earned the WBA ‘Gold’ title after a points win over Cassius Chaney. Sky Sports has contacted both the WBO and the WBA to comment on whether Usyk risks losing their belts as well.
The WBC has not named a mandatory challenger for its heavyweight championship. Agit Kabayel won an elimination bout on the Fury-Usyk undercard, but it was not a final eliminator. The WBC confirmed that its world championship will remain in Usyk’s possession and be on the line in his December rematch with Fury.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told Sky Sports, “The WBC sanctioned an [Kabayel vs. Sanchez] elimination bout as requested by the promoters. He defeated Frank Sanchez, who had been in the top positions for many years and looked great. So he has won already two times in Saudi, both by knockout, both against top-five contenders. He deserves to be in a privileged position.”
Sulaiman does not rule out the WBC sanctioning a future fight between the Usyk-Fury rematch winner and Joshua if he overcomes Dubois to claim the IBF belt. He expressed admiration for Joshua, stating, “Anthony Joshua is a very special unique fighter that has been closely associated with the WBC for many, many years. He was the WBC International champion, he defended it several times. The WBC was the first organization to rank him, in the top 10, the top five.”
Sulaiman added, “Joshua is there and Kabayel is there. We’re not promoters, so we cannot stage fights. We are being very lenient, very flexible to not interfere. We want the best fights made, that’s it.”
As the boxing world waits for the December rematch and the potential showdown between the rematch winner and Joshua, the heavyweight division remains as dynamic and unpredictable as ever.
