Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated heavyweight champion, has chosen to make a huge gift of the IBF title to help his former champions, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, fight on September 21 at Wembley Stadium.
Usyk's Faux Generosity
Usyk gives Joshua and Dubois his IBF belt to take out, which plays well on social media, but it's a false generosity.
This is a title that Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) plans to vacate anyway because he is interested in dropping all the belts back to cruiserweight to become a two-time undefeated champion at that weight.
“Anthony and Daniel, I know that the IBF title is important to you. My gift to you on September 21,” said usyk to X.
Table scraps to take
The way Syk gave up on the IBF, it's like he's throwing table scraps for rape. If you are Joshua how does your pride allow you to fight for a title that is thrown around like a bone from your former champion?
That should at least be an understatement if Joshua has any pride left after losing twice to Usyk and going mental in the ring after his second loss. Joshua wants to get his old IBF belt back as if winning it will somehow validate him in his mind.
Nothing changes. The way the IBF won't say anything if Joshua beats Usyk, that's not happening now.
IBF Title: A Necessary Evil
The IBF title was needed for Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) to fight Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) because otherwise, AJ could have gone the way of Zhilei Zhang or Joseph Parker.
Joshua is set to fight Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London. If Usyk chooses to vacate the belts if he defeats Tyson Fury in their rematch on December 21, the winner of the fight may need to pursue the remaining three titles if they split.
If Fury wins, he will fight the winner of the Joshua-Dubois fight in the undisputed championship. It doesn't look good for Fury because Usyk has got his number, and he will surely go after him, knowing that he knocked him out in the ninth round in their last fight on May 18.
Usyk and Fury's Mind Games
It could also be interpreted as messing with Tyson Fury's mind because he will have no chance to fight for the undisputed title now when he faces Usyk on December 21 in their rematch in Riyadh.
Fury wanted to get a chance to fight for four belts to cement his legacy, but he won't be able to do it now, at least not yet.
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