The fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title in May was a much-anticipated bout, especially considering how long it took to actually take place. Not only was it hugely important, but it was also great, competitive and dramatic.
It was equally refreshing how quickly and smoothly the rematch, scheduled for December 21, was announced. Boxing was on its best behavior in a rare opportunistic moment, and the world was looking forward to a rematch whose outcome was just as difficult to predict.
The IBF's intervention, which led to Usyk vacating the heavyweight title and Daniel Dubois being elevated to champion, needlessly robbed Usyk vs Fury II of its status as the undisputed heavyweight title fight and lost some of its appeal.
This political nonsense, which is really just that, not only degrades the sport, but the IBF as an organization. Every time a governing body takes such action, it further damages an already tarnished reputation. Everyone knows their often questionable business practices. Decisions like this only highlight those practices for all to see. Once again, it shows what a flawed sport boxing is, and how important meritocracy is. Champions are often not champions. Usyk and Fury are the top two fighters in the heavyweight division, for real. Can you justify taking away their titles and allowing them to be won elsewhere?
“In 2014, when he moved up to fight Manny Pacquiao, he was stripped of his WBO junior welterweight title because he was told the title would not be stripped. This is sad on behalf of Usyk, his supporters and his country, Ukraine. It's also sad for Fury, who will lose the opportunity to win the title he covets. It's a bad look for all involved.
It would have made more sense if Filip Hrgovic had beaten Dubois, as he has been waiting a long time to fight for the IBF title, and although Dubois beat Hrgovic in a spectacular victory after beating Jarrell Miller, he had a loss to Usyk before that, so there is no point in elevating him to champion status.
It means a lot to me that I was able to become champion by beating the defending champion, Ruslan Provodnikov, instead of winning a vacant title. A vacant title is rarely contested between a number one and number two contender. Usually it is a fighter who is named against another fighter who is deemed a worthy dance partner. It is even less satisfying for an active fighter to be declared champion outside the ring. I would never be able to consider myself a bona fide champion.
The IBF also stripped Terence Crawford of his welterweight title after he beat Errol Spence (another long-awaited and important fight) and won the title undefeated. I think Crawford is trying to take a stand, especially compared to the perception that the WBC is favoring Saul “Canelo” Alvarez too much. But the timing of when Crawford chose to do so makes no sense, and other governing bodies just don't care that Crawford is doing it.
Dubois vs Joshua is a great fight in its own right. Dubois showed his heart against Miller and Hrgovic. He is a big, athletic heavyweight who can take and land punches. And Usyk's win over Dubois speaks volumes. Dubois broke Hrgovic's will and changed his career in these two fights. Joshua has also looked incredibly vulnerable in the past, but he has been doing phenomenal lately. Both fighters have looked vulnerable and very dangerous at the right time. We can expect an exciting shootout at Wembley Stadium on September 21st.
Boxing promoters and governing bodies usually play chess, not checkers. They think several moves ahead. The reason for Dubois vs. Joshua for the IBF title is not to promote Dubois vs. Joshua, but to have another big heavyweight fight in the first quarter of 2025 between the winner of this fight and Usyk vs. Fury 2. But even if Usyk beats Fury again, it won't make his rematch with Dubois or Joshua more appealing. Similarly, even if Fury and Dubois win, Fury vs. Dubois is already attractive as a fight between the two leading heavyweights in the UK. Even if Fury loses, we'd all love to see him fight Joshua. The fact that the fight has dragged on is no reason why Usyk vs. Fury 2 can't be fought for the absolute title.
It's hard not to be angry about this development. To see deserving champions handing the title over to other teams for some unknown reason degrades the meaning of the championship and degrades the sanctity of the sport. When something like this happens, all champions are affected and the public can see the damage it causes. But the people who run the sport don't care.
When asked how it felt outside of the ring to have the title, Dubois replied, “I'm happy to have the title, but I'm not too worried about it,” and added, “It's just a formality. If I keep winning, I'll have the title. To me, the belt and everything is nice, but these fights are like world title fights in themselves. AJ doesn't need the belt to take the top spot. It's about how I perform in the ring in front of the crowd.”
Nobody is more motivated to promote the IBF heavyweight title than him, so I can't help but admire his mentality. It's a real fighter's mentality. Fighters often say, “He's a fighter,” but a lot of fighters these days don't have that fighter mentality. They don't want to fight everyone around them, and they're not necessarily interested in defending the title.
Dubois showed his mettle against Hrgovic, proving once again that he is a genuine fighter and championship contender who may one day step into the ring with a title in hand.
