Oleksandr Usyk has teased an announcement “very soon”, as boxing fans await the latest piece of major news on a week that has shaken the sport.
The first shocking update came last Friday, as Conor Benn split from his longtime promoter Eddie Hearn to join rival Dana White at Zuffa Boxing; then came a report that Frank Warren is claiming $1bn in lost income from Zuffa Boxing’s owners; and in an unrelated but noteworthy announcement, Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao 2 was confirmed, 11 years after they contested the most-lucrative fight in history.
Warren told the BBC of his reported lawsuit: “It’s just a difference of opinion over the contracts that we signed, so that will just take its course. I can’t make any comment on it. It is what it is.” Meanwhile, a representative of Zuffa Boxing co-owners Sela told The Independent: “We are disappointed by the unfounded claims brought by Queensberry and Frank Warren. We reject them in their entirety and are confident that the facts will fully vindicate our position.”
Amid all of this, there have been teases of another major news item within the sport, with some fans theorising that it could relate to pound-for-pound No 1 Usyk.
The Ukrainian’s team director Sergey Lapin dismissed one theory – that the unified heavyweight champion had signed with Zuffa – tweeting: “Friends, there are reports circulating in the media, claiming that Oleksandr Usyk has allegedly signed a contract with Zuffa Boxing. This information is not true. We ask that you rely exclusively on official statements from our team.”
That post was published on Wednesday, the same day that Usyk wrote: “Not rushing, but getting ready for something big.”
In each man’s most-recent fight, Oleksandr Usyk (right) stopped Daniel Dubois for the second time (PA Wire)
And the unbeaten 39-year-old issued another statement on X this Friday, tweeting: “Very soon, everyone will learn what they’ve been waiting for… Don’t miss it!”
Usyk has not fought since he stopped Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July, two years after his first TKO of the Briton. In beating Dubois again, Usyk became a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, building upon his prior reign as undisputed king at cruiserweight.
Usyk vacated the WBO title in November, one month after Fabio Wardley stopped Joseph Parker to claim the interim belt, and so Wardley was elevated. On 9 May, Wardley will defend the regular title against Dubois in Manchester.
Elsewhere in the division, Tyson Fury will end his fifth retirement on 11 April, as he boxes Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fury has made clear his desire for a trilogy bout with Usyk, who outpointed the former champion twice in 2024.
Usyk outpointed Tyson Fury twice in 2024, handing the Briton his only losses as a professional (PA Wire)
Usyk has been granted a voluntary title defence next, which was briefly expected to come against Deontay Wilder, but the American has now been paired with Usyk’s former opponent Derek Chisora on 4 April.
If Usyk’s next fight is indeed a voluntary title defence, it could give way to a WBC title defence against Agit Kabayel, the mandatory challenger.
“Kabayel was not available, because he had a fight scheduled in January,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said this month. “So, [Usyk] requested a voluntary title defence, which is very customary. He was given that opportunity, and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.”