Heavyweight boxing enters a new era after Usyk vacates his belts. Here's where they're all headed

Usyk recently vacated his WBA, IBF and WBC heavyweight world titles “ahead of stepping into the ring for my final fight” — without saying who that “last dance,” as he put it, would be against.

“I want to make them available,” the unbeaten Ukrainian said of his belts, “so the guys who are next in line can fight for them.”

So, who are they?

Here’s a look at where the belts are headed in a division that has been blown wide open as Usyk — the dominant heavyweight force for the last five years — takes a new direction and established stars like Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are seemingly in the twilight of their careers.

Germany's first heavyweight champ in nearly a century

Agit Kabayel didn’t even have to fight to become world champion.

The 33-year-old German was recognized as the new WBC champion last weekend, his ascension capping a steady rise in his 15-year undefeated professional career.

Over the past few years Kabayel has collected various regional heavyweight titles — European, Continental Americas, Mediterranean — amid a run of 27 straight wins. Now he has been gifted the big one before fight No. 28.

He had been the interim WBC champ since February 2025, when he knocked out Zhilei Zhang.

Kabayel, born in Leverkusen to Kurdish parents, is the first German heavyweight champion since Max Schmeling in 1932 and says he’ll “fight with everyone.”

Russian could be elevated as WBA champion

The WBA has yet to officially comment since Usyk’s announcement.

If it follows the WBC’s lead, then the upgraded champion would by Murat Gassiev, a 32-year-old Russian who has been serving as ‘regular’ champion for the past year while Usyk has been the ‘super’ champion.

Gassiev, who Usyk beat in 2018 to unify the cruiserweight division, jumped up to heavyweight in 2020 — soon after Usyk did the same — and has won seven of his eight fights, losing only to Otto Wallin.

Like Kabayel, he has yet to fight a standout name as a heavyweight. He was, though, a star of the cruiserweight division as a two-belt champion before falling to Usyk by a unanimous decision.

Gassiev knocked out Kubrat Pulev in December for his biggest heavyweight win to date and will seek a 34th pro victory when he takes on Tony Yoka of France in Moscow on July 11.

Itauma and Sanchez to negotiate for IBF fight

On Tuesday, the IBF wished Usyk “continued success in the pursuit of his future endeavors” and ordered its No. 1-ranked contender, Frank Sanchez of Cuba, to negotiate with Britain’s Moses Itauma for a title fight.

They have until July 29 to reach an agreement, the IBF said.

Itauma, a 21-year-old southpaw regarded as a future star of British boxing, is slated to fight Filip Hrgovic of Croatia in London on Aug. 29 in London after turning heads in March with his brutal knockout of Jermaine Franklin Jr.

The 33-year-old Sanchez, who has won 26 of his 28 pro fights, has fought only once since February 2025 — a second-round knockout of Richard Torrez Jr. on the Usyk-Verhoeven undercard.

Usyk says vacating titles 'not the end of the story'

Usyk is coming off a victory over Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in a fight in Egypt that signaled the unified champion’s career might be veering off in another direction.

Where, though?

“This is a well-considered decision that I am confident will open new opportunities for me,” said Usyk, who has been proud to represent Ukraine during the four years since Russia launched its all-out invasion of its neighbor.

“This is not the end of the story. The continuation lies ahead.”

Usyk hasn’t lost any of his 25 professional fights across the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. He has been an undisputed champion in both — twice as a heavyweight, after stepping up to that category in 2019.

Usyk’s camp appears to have ruled out completing a trilogy of fights against Fury, with Sergey Lapin, chief executive of Usyk’s promotional company Ready To Fight, telling British broadcaster Sky Sports: “I don’t really see much point in it. Oleksandr has already beaten Tyson Fury twice.”

Fury vs. Joshua might finally happen

So what of Fury, the former WBC champion who lost to Usyk in back-to-back unification fights in 2024?

The brash Brit has embarked on another comeback, having beaten Arslanbek Makhmudov in April and set up a fight on July 24 against former world title challenger Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand.

The 37-year-old Fury says that marks "the start of a huge second half of the year for me” — one which is expected to include a long-awaited showdown with Joshua in an all-British, non-title bout.

They have yet to fight each other despite a number of attempts to arrange a money-spinning meeting.

Joshua — a two-time heavyweight champion — also is on the comeback trail after being involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two of his friends and saw him sustain minor injuries.

The 36-year-old Joshua will fight Kristian Prenga on July 25 in what's also being viewed as a tune-up ahead of a bout with Fury.

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