Usyk’s surprise move: Why he dropped titles and what comes next in his career
Oleksandr Usyk (photo: Getty Images)
Sky Sports has revealed what exactly motivated Oleksandr Usyk when he relinquished all his championship titles, and what his plans are for the near future.
He wants to decide for himself
According to the team director of the former champion, Serhii Lapin, the decision to vacate the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts is solely due to the boxer’s unwillingness to be at the mercy of officials and to drag out mandatory title defenses. Usyk plans to spend only a very short time in the ring from now on.
"Now he wants to decide for himself what the final chapter of his career will look like, rather than allowing circumstances or mandatory title defences to make that decision for him," Lapin says.
The promoter emphasizes that this move was made out of respect for the global boxing community, so as not to hold the division hostage.
"He made the conscious decision to vacate his championship belts in order to bring new life to the heavyweight division, give new champions the opportunity to prove themselves, and help move the sport forward," the team director adds.
Lapin emphasizes that Oleksandr has already achieved everything possible, becoming the undisputed champion three times in two weight classes (cruiserweight and heavyweight), as well as defeating the entire modern boxing elite: Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, and kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven.
"I believe Oleksandr has achieved almost everything that can be achieved in boxing. He has already secured his place in history as the undisputed champion in two weight divisions. He has earned the right to decide when and how to close this chapter," Lapin concludes.
Boxing organizations' reaction
The World Boxing Council (WBC) was the first to react to Usyk’s decision. The organization’s president, Mauricio Sulaiman, officially announced that German Agit Kabayel, who had previously held the interim title and was the mandatory challenger, has been recognized as the new full-fledged world champion.
The fate of the other vacant belts (IBF and WBA) will be determined in the near future.
Earlier, we reported on who would take Usyk’s former belts and what lies ahead for the heavyweight division.
