While the governing bodies have been lenient with mandatories in order to allow Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to fight for undisputed honours, Frank Warren has said ‘it would be poor’ if one of the belts was stripped from the winner in the immediate aftermath.
For the first time in 24 years since Lennox Lewis last owned them all, the four major world titles will all be on the line when Usyk and Fury come together in Saudi Arabia on February 17.
However, it is strongly rumoured that the IBF will strip their belt away after the bout – even though there is a contracted rematch – and begin ordering other heavyweights to fight for the vacant title, with Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua one possibility.
They have a history of doing similar and in fact stripped Fury of that exact belt soon after he beat Wladimir Klitschko back in 2015.
Speaking to Seconds Out, promoter Warren was asked what he knew about what might happen.
“We will see what happens after the fight. I mean it would be pretty poor for them to do that but we’ll see what happens.”
He was then asked if any conversations had been had with the IBF on the subject.
“No. They have their views and they’re entitled to their views. If it’s a really great fight and it deserves a rematch then that’s what will happen.
“With Riyadh Season and the money that’s involved, the governing bodies are going to have to be a bit more sensible, and that’s how it is, ’cause I will see a situation where the governing bodies will just be ignored.”
