Image source, Getty Images
We've been waiting for an undisputed heavyweight champion for almost 25 years, with Oleksandr Usyk rising to the top and now the IBF is trying to strip him of the belt.
Why would you strip a guy who's wearing so many belts? Don't you think that's ridiculous?
It all depends on the IBF and their mandatory challenger. According to IBF rules, if Usyk doesn't fight his mandatory challenger next, the IBF must strip him of his title, which is Daniel Dubois.
It may sound silly, but the reality is, there is no other choice.
- author, Steve Vance
- role, BBC Radio 5 Live Boxing Analyst
In 1956, when there was only one accrediting agency, the idea of mandates was a great one.
But when there are multiple recognised accrediting bodies – there are currently four, plus several champion bodies – the obligation quickly becomes diluted.
The IBF has a history in this field and this is not the first time it has found itself in a tight spot.
How else can you explain Tsar Glazkov being the number one contender in 2015?
When Tyson Fury became unified champion in November 2015, his manager and promoter, Mick Hennessy, was eating scrambled eggs and answering phones the morning after as he defended his IBF belt.
It was probably 1 a.m. in New Jersey, where the IBF is based, and Tyson hadn't even had breakfast yet.
But IBF vs. Usyk is more than just a difference of opinion: this is boxing vs. the governing bodies, and the power struggle has already begun.
One thing to remember is that boxing is different from all other sports in that the way we “rank” fighters does not take place in the boxing ring.
It's been kind of a trade ever since the early 1960s.
A group of people gather in some five-star hotel, attend one of the sanctioning body's annual conventions, sit on a balcony sipping cocktails and trading, and every fighter ranked by the WBC, WBA, WBO or IBF pays a sanctioning fee.
When writing down the last 10 heavyweight champions, don’t assume that any of the “mandatory challengers” went through a long and rigorous process to earn their place.
Accreditation bodies are businesses. They want to make a profit and these are tough times for them.
Is a segregated boxing league possible?
Does Dubois vs Joshua need the IBF title? Absolutely not. This is a great fight. Dubois vs Joshua would sell out Wembley if only for the “Wembley Champion” belt.
But this is a war brewing in boxing, with governing bodies strongly opposed to any move to diminish their role and power.
The state of heavyweight boxing over the past 18 months has posed a threat to them.
Great battles occur regularly. Battles we could never have imagined have occurred and are still occurring.
That will worry governing bodies, which had more than three years to wait to put Joshua and Deontay Wilder in the ring together when they held all the titles.
You have one job: to get Person A to fight Person B in the ring. You have three years to do that. They didn't get it done.
If you applied that to any other job in the world, you’d get fired for it, wouldn’t you?
There is no confirmation yet as to whether this boxing league will take place – it's all speculation at this point, but it would make sense if it were possible.
It's a great idea in theory: Take the 15 best heavyweight or welterweight fighters in the league and have them box against each other on a regular schedule.
The governing bodies do not and cannot be contained within the leagues, which is why a fierce battle is brewing behind the scenes.
Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to endure watching men and women in fancy suits fly in every fight week, step into the ring, and fight each other to get the belt around the champion's waist?
What could be accomplished if they stayed out of the fight?
If, five years from now, boxers are fighting in a league for two or three years, will there be boxing fans who are nostalgic for the days of the IBF?
I think the licensing authorities are well aware that it is not as safe as it once was.
They know they're at risk if they play their cards too hard, so the best they can do is join forces. If the four governing bodies put their egos aside, sit around a cocktail table and form their own league, things will get interesting.
The licensing agencies have wielded absurd control and power for over 60 years.
But any splinter group, any league, any promoter can’t do it alone, boxing needs a united front.
