Usyk may soon lose the status of absolute champion
27 May 2024 15:28
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who recently defeated British boxer Tyson Fury in a spectacular fight, became the absolute world heavyweight champion, collecting four of the most prestigious belts – WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. However, in the near future, Usyk may lose one of his championship titles, "Komersant Ukrainian" writes
The fact is that according to the rules of the IBF, which owns one of Usyk’s championship belts, instead of rematching with Fury, the Ukrainian must fight against Croatian Filip Hrgovic, who is a mandatory contender for the IBF heavyweight belt. The IBF insists that its champion Usyk should agree on his next title defence with Hrgovic.
However, after his victory over Fury, Usyk and his opponent announced their intention to hold a second fight between them in accordance with the clauses of their contract. The promoters see the rematch as a more profitable and attractive event than Usyk’s fight with the unpopular Hrgovic.
If Usyk does not agree to the IBF’s request and rematches with Fury, he faces the cancellation of his IBF championship and the loss of his claim to the absolute heavyweight championship. According to the IBF rules, such a refusal to fight a mandatory challenger results in the automatic revocation of the organisation’s championship belt.
On the other hand, Usyk’s team hopes to negotiate a special exception with the IBF that will allow them to hold a rematch with Fury for all four championship belts. Hrgovic may be guaranteed a meeting with the winner of the Usyk-Fury fight. However, the IBF’s final decision is still unknown.
Even if he loses one of his championship belts, Ukrainian Usyk has already gone down in history as a two-time absolute world champion in two Olympic weight categories – heavyweight and super heavyweight.
