Oleksandr Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era with his masterclass victory over Tyson Fury. Scheduled to rematch Fury later this year, Usyk has a gift for his former opponents, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. The pair will be headlining an exciting PPV event this September 21in Wembley.
Usyk Vacates IBF Title
Dubois is the interim IBF champion. He won the title with a TKO victory over Filip Hrgovic earlier this month. Though not officially announced, Joshua was to challenge Dubois, with the victor earning a spot against the winner of Usyk vs. Fury II. Surprisingly, the undisputed champion had a gift for his former foes as they will be fighting.
“Anthony and Daniel, listen, I know IBF title important to you. Tell it, my present to you. On September 21, guys,” said Usyk, announcing his decision to vacate the IBF heavyweight title. This would effectively mean Dubois vs. Joshua will be for the IBF heavyweight title. Conversely, Usyk vs Fury II will now be only for the unified titles.
Usyk is 2-0 against Joshua, winning both fights via decision. On the other hand, Usyk TKOed Dubois in a controversial battle where the referee counted an alleged body punch of “DDD” as a low blow. The Ukrainian recovered due to the decision and went on to win the bout.
Usyk’s decision has now added more flavor to the heavyweight division. Depending on the result of Usyk vs Fury II and Dubois vs. Joshua, the boxing world will likely see another high-profile undisputed heavyweight boxing clash, possibly in mid-2025.
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