Oleksandr Usyk's reign as undisputed heavyweight champion is likely to end within the next two weeks and his IBF title will be stripped or voided. Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) has been the undisputed champion since beating Tyson Fury last Saturday in Riyadh.
The must-have player in the IBF is Filip Hrgovic, waiting for an overdue title shot. Usyk will not fight Tyson Fury because he has a rematch clause in his fight.
Of course, Fury could choose not to trigger the rematch clause, allowing Usyk to retain his four belts, but Tyson is unlikely to make a decision before his next fight against Hrgovic on June 1. . It is expected that the IBF belt will be on the line at that time.
Hrgovic vs. Dubois for IBF title
Hrgovic's promoter Eddie Hearn has said that unless a deal is reached that allows Usyk to retain the IBF title, he will lose it. The fight between Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois is on the line on June 1st at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
“You know, probably today or tomorrow, the IBF will give Oleksandr Usyk a mandatory, because it’s clear that Hrgovic is waiting for the mandatory. This fight [Tyson Fury vs. Usyk] It was cleared on the basis that the winner had to fight Filip Hrgovic, and we all knew that was going to happen,” promoter Eddie Hearn told Matchroom Boxing.
“So unless there is an agreement between everyone, the IBF belt will be released and it will very likely be released on June 1, and that's what it hinges on.” [for Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois in Riyadh]. Let's take a look.
“In this situation where you have an undisputed champion, the obligatory duty goes by in the blink of an eye. You saw that with Crawford.” [getting stripped of his IBF title when he opted not to fight mandatory Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis]. “It's very difficult to hold on to all the belts unless you're willing to continue fighting the mandatory matches,” Hearn said.
