Usyk to vacate titles but planning his 'last dance...
Key takeaways
- Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk announced that he is vacating his WBA, IBF and WBC heavyweight titles.
- "Today is Friday, the weather is beautiful and it is a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold," Usyk said in an Instagram post.
- Usyk, 39, is coming off a surprisingly difficult fight with kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, who he controversially stopped at the end of the 11th round last month.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk announced that he is vacating his WBA, IBF and WBC heavyweight titles. He is not retiring, however, as he has one "last dance" before he calls it a career.
"Today is Friday, the weather is beautiful and it is a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold," Usyk said in an Instagram post. "I want to make them available so the guys who want them and are next in line can fight for them."
Usyk, 39, is coming off a surprisingly difficult fight with kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, who he controversially stopped at the end of the 11th round last month. ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter had a difficult time tracking down Verhoeven, who had only boxed once as a professional prior to his fight with Usyk.