The heavyweight boxing division has been thrown wide open following Oleksandr Usyk’s stunning announcement on Friday that he is vacating his WBA, WBC and IBF world heavyweight titles, creating a cascade of championship opportunities that place three Nigerians, Moses Itauma and Efe Ajagba, as well as former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua, firmly in contention for boxing’s most coveted prizes.
Usyk, who holds a professional record of 25 wins and 16 knockouts, made the announcement in a video posted on social media, saying, “Today is Friday, the weather is beautiful, and it is a good day to say that I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold. I want to make them available so the guys who are next in line can fight for them. Friends, I am leaving the belts but I am not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance.”
The decision brought
