Oleksandr Usyk may voluntarily relinquish all his heavyweight championship titles and fight just one final bout before retiring from professional boxing. The boxer’s team is considering this decision in light of the boxing organisations’ requirements regarding mandatory title defences.
Briefly about the main points
- Oleksandr Usyk is prepared to relinquish all his championship belts.
- The boxer’s team is planning to organise one final bout.
- The reason is that title defences are compulsory, which limits the choice of opponents.
- Usyk does not want to be held hostage by the boxing federations’ belts.
Oleksandr Usyk and his plans for the end of his career
Oleksandr Usyk, a Ukrainian boxer who holds the heavyweight titles, may take a bold step by relinquishing all his championship belts. This decision is driven by the boxing organisations’ requirements regarding mandatory title defences, which significantly limit his choice of opponents. Usyk’s team is considering the possibility of staging just one final bout, after which the boxer plans to retire.
«If the final bout goes ahead, it’s set to be a truly major event,» said Usyk’s team director, Sergei Lapin.
The boxer’s team is currently facing a demand from the World Boxing Council (WBC) to stage a mandatory title defence against the interim champion Agita Kabayela. If Usyk does not agree to this fight, he risks losing his championship belt. A similar situation applies to other titles, as each federation has its own mandatory challengers.
Why Usyk might give up his titles
Oleksandr Usyk He has on more than one occasion voluntarily relinquished certain championship belts to avoid a conflict between mandatory defences and staging the most significant fights. Now, however, the issue concerns all the titles he currently holds. This could prove to be one of the most sensational decisions in modern boxing.
According to British media reports, Usyk is leaning towards fighting just one more bout, after which he intends to retire from professional boxing. The name of his future opponent has not yet been officially announced, but possible options include both the mandatory challenger Agita Kabayel and other, more commercially attractive bouts.
What's next?
If Oleksandr Usyk does indeed relinquish all his championship belts, this will allow him to choose his final opponent himself and end his career free from any obligations to the boxing federations. The titles will be passed on to new champions via mandatory bouts. The boxer’s team has promised to announce the final decision in the near future.
