Oleksandr Usyk faces solely with the ability to name himself undisputed champion for a matter of weeks.
Usyk prevailed in what was been dubbed “the struggle of the century” after beating Tyson Fury through cut up determination of their heavyweight blockbuster in Saudi Arabia.
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Fury misplaced his WBC title, whereas Usyk added to his WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
However regardless of all the eye and construct as much as the primary undisputed heavyweight bout in over 25 years, his standing will solely final a fraction of that point.
Boxing journalist Dan Rafael has reported that the winner of tonight’s bout will keep the undisputed title for “lower than two weeks”.
It’s mentioned that each Fury and Usyk’s contracts dictate that they have to vacate the IBF title forward of overdue necessary challenger Filip Hrgovic’s bout with Daniel Dubois.
Hrgovic and Dubois face off on June 1, simply 14 days after tonight’s struggle.
“A 25-yr wait to get 2 weeks of one other undisputed heavyweight champ,” Rafael wrote on X, referring to Usyk changing into the primary undisputed heavyweight boxing champ since Lennox Lewis in 1999-2000.
Hrgovic has been the necessary challenger for some 18 months and might be competing for his first world title since turning professional.
The 31-year-old is unbeaten in his 17 fights since switching to skilled boxing after his Olympic bronze in 2016 as an novice.
Usyk and Fury have already agreed to a blockbuster rematch, eyed for October.
Ought to that be the case then Hrgovic’s struggle with Dubois would almost certainly be for an interim world title.
Saudi Arabia chief Turki Alalshikh has revealed that the winner of Hrgovic vs Dubois will go on to face Anthony Joshua in September of this 12 months.
Joshua has returned to kind and can in the end be eyeing an all-British bout between himself and Fury sooner or later too.
This text initially appeared in The Solar and was reproduced with permission.
