Oleksandr Usyk has announced that he will be vacating his heavyweight titles. He will, however, remain in the sport as he does not plan to retire soon.
The Ukrainian star says he wants to free up the belts for the next contenders while keeping his own career alive for one more fight.
Usyk’s decision centres on the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts, which he held as the unified heavyweight champion.
In a social media message, he said he wanted to make the titles available for the fighters waiting in line, while making clear that he is still in the sport.
He termed the move as a “well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me”, adding, “This is not the end of the story”.
The move also fits Usyk’s position at this stage of his career. At 39, he has already ruled both cruiserweight and heavyweight, and his latest step suggests that he wants to spend the latter days of his career doing things on his terms.
Reports say he is thinking about a final “last dance,” a farewell fight that would close out an elite run without the pressure of holding multiple championships at once.
By vacating the belts, Usyk avoids long stretches tied to mandatory defences and gives the governing bodies room to set up new title fights.
That opens the door for the division to move forward while he decides what comes next in the ring. This way, there is no pressure on him to accept a fight.
Usyk has also demonstrated throughout his career that he is not attached to the titles he wins. While a lot of effort goes into his victories, The Cat has been quick to move on from the titles if it becomes necessary.
This has allowed him to dominate two divisions, becoming the first unified heavyweight boxing champion in decades.
With this update, what fans will be looking out for is his next title fight. A rematch with Rico Verhoeven might come first, but Usyk may also have his sights on some fresh challenges.
Now that things are up to him to decide, there’s no telling how interesting his next fixture might be.
