THE heavyweight championship belt, the most prestigious title in pro boxing, is once again in shambles.
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, the most dominant heavyweight champion since 2021, recently shocked the boxing world when he relinquished his remaining titles: WBC, WBA, and IBF crowns.
Usyk had previously enjoyed two reigns as undisputed heavyweight champion.
In pro boxing, an undisputed champ is one who simultaneously holds all four major belts in the division (WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF).
Usyk first pulled off the feat in May 2024, when he defeated Tyson Fury to unify all four belts. Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champ of the four-belt era.
However, in June 2024, Usyk relinquished the IBF belt to pursue a rematch with Fury. Usyk again defeated Fury in December 2024, albeit only for the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts.
The IBF title Usyk gave up was won by Briton Daniel Dubois. The IBF elevated Dubois to full-time champ on June 26, 2024.
On July 19, 2025, Usyk knocked out Dubois in five rounds to regain the IBF title and again unify all four belts. For the second time, Usyk held all four (WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF) titles in the heavyweight division.
The WBO directed Usyk to defend against top contender Fabio Wardley but Usyk had other plans. Thus, in November 2025, Usyk gave up the WBO crown. Wardley was promoted to WBO champ.
Again, the heavyweight throne was left fragmented.
Usyk returned to the ring last May but chose a controversial opponent: kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
Verhoeven only had one pro boxing match in 2014. Surprisingly, the WBC still sanctioned the fight. The head honchos of the WBA and the IBF distanced themselves from the fight.
Usyk defeated Verhoeven via a controversial knockout in 11 rounds. He looked out of shape and took a lot of shots from Verhoeven. He got his act together and knocked down Verhoeven in the 11th stanza. Verhoeven got up, but the referee waived the fight off. Verhoeven’s camp protested the stoppage, but truth be told Usyk would have won the fight on points had it went the full 12 rounds.
Shortly after the Verhoeven fight, German Agit Kabayel, the WBC’s mandatory challenger, demanded a title shot at Usyk.
Usyk initially expressed interest in a fight with Kabayel, but last June 26 he again surprised everyone by vacating his remaining belts: WBA, WBC, and IBF.
Usyk is now without a title and fans cannot help but wonder why he gave up all four belts.
The reasons are discernible.
First, an undisputed champion is mandated to defend his crown against the top contenders of the four organizations, albeit on a rotation basis. This means Usyk cannot pick an opponent of his choice.
Usyk had said that he may be down to the last fight of his career and reports have surfaced that he is eyeing a fight with former champion Deontay Wilder. Wilder, once a feared champ, had seen better days. Usyk opted to vacate the throne so he can pursue Wilder or any opponent of his choice.
Instead of seeking an exemption from his mandatory title obligation, Usyk decided to just give up the crowns. As Usyk put it, he wanted to give other boxers a chance at becoming champ.
Second, giving up all the belts was a cost-cutting measure.
An undisputed champion must pay sanctioning fees to the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO whenever he defends the undisputed crown. Each governing body typically charges around three percent of the fighter’s gross purse per belt. By giving up the belts, Usyk saved a whole lot of money.
Lastly, Usyk has reached that stage in his career where belts do not matter anymore.
Usyk has already proven his fistic worth. He has beaten the top heavyweights of his time: Fury (twice), Anthony Joshua (twice) and Dubois (twice). Wilder is the only one left in the itinerary and this explains why Usyk wants him, probably for his farewell fight.
If he stays the course, Usyk will end up retiring with an undefeated record of 26-0. Currently, his resume reads 25-0 with 16 knockouts.
When he is finished with the sport, Usyk disclosed that he plans to put up a Sports Academy and train other boxers.
A career in politics is also in the horizon. Believe it or not, Usyk holds a Ph.D. in Law.
