The heavyweight division finally has an undisputed champion after nearly 25 years, but Oleksandr Usyk's reign might be short-lived. The IBF, one of the four major boxing sanctioning bodies, is threatening to strip him of his belt for not facing their mandatory challenger, Daniel Dubois.
This situation exposes a major flaw in the current system:
- Mandatory Madness: The idea of a mandatory challenger made sense in a single-sanctioning-body era. However, with four recognized bodies and multiple champions, the "mandatory" status gets diluted.
- History Repeating: This isn't the IBF's first rodeo. Remember the controversial Czar Glazkov situation in 2015? They stripped Tyson Fury just a week after he became unified champion.
Beyond the Belt: Boxing vs. Business
This goes deeper than a single fighter. It's a clash between the sport of boxing and the business interests of the sanctioning bodies:
- Horse-Trading Rankings: Forget grueling fights. Rankings are often decided at fancy conventions where sanctioning bodies "trade" positions. Fighters pay fees to be ranked, making it a profitable business.
- Profit Over Prestige: The sanctioning bodies prioritize short-term gains. They'd rather sanction Dubois vs. Joshua in September (generating immediate revenue) than wait for Usyk's December rematch with Fury.
The Takeaway:
Usyk's situation highlights the disconnect between boxing's competitive spirit and the commercial interests of the sanctioning bodies. Fans crave a true undisputed champion, but the current system prioritizes profit over prestige. Will a unified champion ever be allowed to reign supreme, or will the dance of mandatory challengers and sanctioning-body fees continue to pull the strings?