A heavyweight veteran has taken issue with the timing of Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his titles, given that he could have fought for a vacant strap earlier this year.

While maintaining his status as the lineal heavyweight champion, Usyk chose to vacate his WBC, IBF and WBA belts towards the end of last month.

In doing so, the Ukrainian enabled Agit Kabayel and Murat Gassiev to respectively be upgraded to full WBC and WBA champions, while his old IBF title remains up for grabs.

But while allowing others to progress in the sport, Usyk has afforded himself just one more fight before calling time on a phenomenal career.

This news follows his 11th-round stoppage over Rico Verhoeven in May, when the two-division undisputed champion encountered a tougher-than-expected night’s work.

And with Usyk subsequently announcing that he has one fight left, many felt this decision was inspired by his difficulty in dispatching a former kickboxing champion.

Either way, the 39-year-old’s deliberation meant that Derek Chisora was unable to fight for a vacant IBF title when he faced Deontay Wilder in April.

According to Usyk, Chisora gave him the toughest fight of his career when they went the distance in 2020. ‘Del Boy’ ultimately lost via a hard-fought unanimous decision, with the judges’ scorecards reflecting a closely contested bout.

Speaking with Seconds Outthe 42-year-old explained that he had even attempted to pressure his former opponent into making a decision so he could have one last shot at a world title.

“Let’s not talk about that guy. Usyk p*ssed me off because I phoned his manager, I phoned him – even FaceTimed him – and he showed me his beautiful baby girl. He was at home with his family.

“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m fighting Deontay Wilder. Drop the IBF [title]. Do this for me as a friend’. [He said] ‘I’ll let you know’.

“F**king mug. He’s a c**t, that guy. We pressured him; we phoned him every day, and he didn’t play ball. Then, suddenly, he boxed a kickboxer [Verhoeven] and realised he’s not the same [fighter].

“That was selfish of him [to keep the belts].”

With Chisora losing a split decision to Wilderhe would have been unable to win the IBF title which, instead, is set to be contested by mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez in due course.

Hall of Famer Tim Bradley doesn’t expect Terence Crawford to fight again, and he believes the decision has less to do with motivation than with the physical toll of a long career.

Asked whether he thinks Crawford will return to the ring, Bradley gave a definitive answer, saying the former four-division world champion has likely fought his last bout.

“I think Bud’s done,” Bradley said to Boxing News. “I think injuries. It’s not that he don’t want to do it. It’s just the fact that probably he can’t do it because he has these undisclosed injuries that are constantly probably bothering him.”

Crawford, 38, has not fought since his September 2025 victory over Canelo Alvarez, a win that cemented his legacy as one of boxing’s all-time greats. While fans have continued to speculate about another comeback, Bradley believes Crawford has already accomplished everything he set out to achieve.

Bradley says financial security is another major reason a return appears unlikely.

“I feel like Bud has done enough, made enough money and invested his money very well to where he doesn’t need to come back and fight,” Bradley said. “Most of the time guys that come back they need money. Bud doesn’t need money.”

Bradley added that Crawford is enjoying life outside the ring, traveling with his family and pursuing other ventures rather than chasing one final payday.

“I think he’s happy and content with what he’s done in the sport. I don’t see him coming back,” Bradley said before calling Crawford “the king of this generation.”

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Last Updated on 2026/07/14 at 2:39 AM

Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt believes Diego Pacheco has only scratched the surface of his potential, saying the unbeaten super middleweight possesses “untouched talent” as he prepares for Saturday night’s fight against veteran Immanuwel Aleem on DAZN.

McGirt, who recently joined Pacheco’s team, said the 25-year-old reminds him of former two-division world champion Vernon Forrest because of how naturally certain skills come to him.

“Honestly, he has untouched talent,” McGirt said to the Boxing Mob. “He knows he’s good, but he doesn’t realize how good he is and could be.

“He does things sometimes that remind me of Vernon Forrest. When I say, ‘Okay, do that again,’ Vernon used to look at me like, ‘What the hell did I just do?’ He’s kind of the same way. I say, ‘Do that move again,’ and he’s like, ‘What did I just do?’ It’s just so natural. The key now is to sharpen it up and improve each fight.”

Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs) will face Aleem at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, in what will be McGirt’s first fight working his corner. Although Aleem is viewed as a step below the elite contenders at 168 pounds, McGirt isn’t taking the assignment lightly.

“At this stage of the game, anybody’s a high risk,” McGirt said. “The key is just to prepare for any and everything and be ready for whatever he brings to the table.”

Saturday’s fight comes at an important point in Pacheco’s career. While he remained unbeaten with a decision over Kevin Lele Sadjo in his last outing, the performance drew criticism after he spent long stretches holding to neutralize Sadjo’s pressure. Instead of strengthening his standing among the division’s top contenders, the fight raised questions about whether he is ready for the elite names at super middleweight.

McGirt clearly believes those doubts overlook Pacheco’s natural ability. Now the challenge is turning that talent into the type of complete performance that restores confidence in his long-term championship potential.

A convincing win over Aleem would mark a strong start to the McGirt-Pacheco partnership. Another laborious performance would likely keep the spotlight on the questions that surfaced after the Sadjo fight.

Robert Segal is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with more than a decade of experience covering fight news, previews, and analysis. Known for his straightforward reporting and ringside perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, contenders, and emerging talent worldwide.

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Last Updated on 2026/07/13 at 8:06 PM