Oleksandr Usyk didn’t retire. He did something even more revealing. By vacating every heavyweight title while promising one final “Last Dance,” the unbeaten Ukrainian may have just told the boxing world exactly how he intends to finish his career.
Usyk announced on Friday that he is relinquishing all of his heavyweight championships, clearing the way for the contenders waiting behind him to fight for the vacant belts.
“I want to leave all my belts that I own today, to make them vacant, so that the guys who are standing in line can box for them,” said Usyk.
However, the unified champion made one point equally clear.
“I am leaving the belts, but I am not leaving the sport because I have a Last Dance.”
The announcement immediately changed the direction of the heavyweight division.
Last Dance
Only a day earlier, World Boxing News outlined Usyk’s three realistic options.
He could defend against WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel, pursue the lucrative Rico Verhoeven rematch, or retire.
Instead, he walked away from every championship while confirming his career isn’t over.
Had Usyk planned to face Kabayel, go for undisputed with Daniel Dubois again or any other challenger, there was little reason to surrender every belt. He could have retained at least part of his unified championship while completing his career.
In the process, Usyk removed every sanctioning body, every mandatory obligation and every deadline from the equation.
His farewell will now be fought entirely on his own terms.
What It Means
The decision also reshapes the heavyweight division overnight.
Agit Kabayel is expected to be elevated from WBC interim champion to full world champion after waiting years for his opportunity.
The WBA picture could also move quickly, with Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic among the leading candidates to contest the vacant title later this year.
The IBF route appears more complicated. Frank Sanchez currently sits at number one in the rankings, but without a mandatory challenger in place and no number two-ranked contender, the organization has decisions to make before its championship picture becomes clear.
For weeks, WBN has reported that a rematch with Rico Verhoeven remained one of the biggest opportunities available to Usyk despite the complications surrounding his heavyweight reign.
Following their controversial meeting beneath the Pyramids of Giza, Verhoeven repeatedly called for the chance to finish the story after the eleventh-round stoppage denied fans a final round.
The obstacle was never the belts themselves. It was whether Usyk could choose Verhoeven without sacrificing the championships tied to mandatory obligations.
Today, that obstacle disappeared.
By vacating every title, Usyk has given himself complete freedom to select the opponent for his farewell without answering to any sanctioning body.
Whether that final chapter belongs to Verhoeven or another surprise remains to be seen.
With Turki Alalshikh continuing to control boxing’s biggest events, it would be no surprise if a significant offer emerged to finally complete one of the sport’s most controversial heavyweight fights.
Oleksandr Usyk didn’t give up every belt because he was finished. He gave them up because only one thing matters now: the Last Dance.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
