The WBA have ordered its heavyweight champions Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois to fight, potentially throwing the division into chaos.
2023 had been set for an undisputed clash between Tyson Fury and his Ukrainian peer, but the WBA’s plans have added a further complication to an already complicated situation.
We have a look at what could be at stake, and what could happen, in the year ahead.
What have the WBA ordered?
The WBA sanctioning body has ordered that their two world heavyweight champions, Usyk and Dubois, meet in the ring to decide an outright heavyweight champion for the WBA.
Usyk is currently the ‘Super’ world champion while Dubois is termed the ‘Regular’ champion. That means that the pair must meet in the ring or face the possibility they will be stripped of their belts, and one or both versions could be retired.
Why did the WBA order Usyk vs. Dubois?
The WBA, like many other sanctioning bodies, has had various belts across the division. Different bodies have championships that might be termed silver, regular, international, franchise, diamond and other variations. In recent years the WBA and others have been criticised for diluting the importance of various belts by flooding the divisions with different championships.
Last year the WBA decided it would consolidate the belts under its umbrella, and Usyk vs. Dubois might be seen in this light rather than the WBA really wanting the pair to fight.
Will Usyk vacate his belt? Will Dubois?
Given the possibility that the WBA are not necessarily going to follow through on making a mandatory clash between champions, they might be anticipating that Dubois would be content to vacate his belt. Usyk could also do the same, but that would mean that any proposed fight between Usyk and Fury would no longer be for the undisputed designation, which is a good part of the reason the two fighters are circling one another.
That could see Dubois open negotiations with Fury - who has the same promoter, Frank Warren - and/or Usyk, in order to come to an agreement where Dubois would walk away from his chance for a title fight.
Will Fury fight Usyk in 2023?
That remains to be seen. The pair do appear to want to fight. Usyk in particular has expressed a desire to fight Fury or nobody at all, given he only has a few years left at the top - if that. Fury is capricious at the best of time, so testing himself against his most talented rival could appeal to him, but if it isn’t to secure his legacy in the record books, he might threaten to walk away for another retirement.
Who else could Fury fight?
Two weeks ago when Fury had Usyk up to face off, eyeball to eyeball, he mentioned Joe Joyce as anoter potential fight. That would be a credible match-up with some real intrigue, especially compared to the relatively lowkey fight with Derek Chisora where there was little threat to Fury.
Are there any other problems?
Oh, yes. The IBF have also ordered negotiations for their mandatory, Filip Hrgovic, to fight Usyk. It is entirely possible that the heavyweight titles will fracture once again just as it appeared Fury vs. Usyk was an inevitability, rather than a dream.