Usyk To Lose Undisputed Status In A Few Weeks

By: Gyang Dakwo

Oleksandr Usyk has been crowned the new undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world, but it appears he may lose one of his titles before he even steps back into the ring.

The 37 year old Ukrainian triumphed over Tyson Fury in a thrilling match for all the heavyweight division’s gold in Saudi Arabia, winning by split decision with judges scoring the bout 115-112, 113-114, 114-113.

However, despite his current celebrations, reports say Usyk is set to be stripped of the IBF title as Filip Hrgovic, the long-time mandatory challenger, will not wait for a contracted rematch with Fury to occur.

If all goes according to plan, Usyk and Fury are scheduled to face off again in October, with Fury seeking retribution. However, the IBF title will be vacated before then and will be up for grabs when Hrgovic takes on Daniel Dubois in June.

The victor of that fight will then challenge Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September, just weeks before Usyk and Fury are due to clash once more. It remains uncertain whether the winner of this rematch, who will walk away with three belts instead of four, will attempt to regain the IBF title in their next move, reports the Mirror.

For now, Usyk holds all the gold. But judging by his comments in the post-fight press conference, it seems unlikely he will lose any sleep over the impending loss of the IBF title.