Why Ukrainian champion Usyk kept his titles but won’t fight: Explanation puts boxing on hold
Oleksandr Usyk (Photo: Getty Images)
Undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk will not fight anymore in 2025. Due to an injury and an official break, all title bouts in the division have been postponed until next year. This has led to a temporary freeze in the fight for championship belts, World Boxing News reports.
Usyk’s mandatory fights postponed
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri announced that this year the organization will not contest the vacant title. This means Usyk will retain all his belts into 2026.
Usyk’s manager, Frank Warren, confirmed that the undisputed champion missed fights due to an injury and received official approval for a break.
"Usyk asked for a time out from the WBO because of an injury, and he provided evidence, and that’s the position at the moment. Will he fight before the end of the year? I very much doubt it," Warren said.
As a result, Usyk’s mandatory defenses for the WBO, WBA, and WBC titles will remain unresolved at least until February or March 2026.
Heavyweight division at a standstill
Due to the accumulation of mandatory defenses, title fights in the heavyweight division are effectively frozen.
The WBO has named Joseph Parker as the interim champion and next in line, but Usyk’s team has officially requested to postpone the fight, and the organization’s decision is pending.
The delay also affects Fabio Wardley, who was close to signing a fight with Parker in October, and Moses Itauma, while Turki Alalshikh has named a young prospect as a potential future contender.
According to the WBA, Kubrat Pulev holds the title of regular champion, Wardley is the interim champion, and Michael Hunter holds the "gold" belt.
All of them are waiting for Usyk to retain his title.
Even Agit Kabayel, who was supposed to become the WBC mandatory challenger, cannot move forward until the WBA and WBO clarify their positions.
The IBF has also left the top spot vacant, with Derek Chisora ranked second.
Consequences for fighters and fans
By taking time to recover, Usyk has signaled that he plans to continue his championship reign. However, for all contenders — Parker, Wardley, Pulev, Hunter, Kabayel, and Chisora — the wait continues.
For boxing fans, the heavyweight scene remains on hold until the undisputed champion returns, and all potential title fights have been postponed.
