Boxing
'More to come!' - Usyk surrenders heavyweight crown to blow division wide open
Zayas vs. Ennis: Watch only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
Oleksandr Usyk has announced plans to vacate all three of his heavyweight belts, but insists he will not retire from the sport.
The Ukrainian, the unified WBA, WBC and IBF champion, most recently stopped Rico Verhoeven last month in a tough bout.
With the Dutchman eyeing a rematch, and WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel as his mandatory foe, the star faced a choice.
Now, Usyk has confirmed he intends to surrender his claim to all his major crowns, blowing the glamour division wide open.
Sparks fly as Zayas and Ennis meet
Relive DAZN FACE OFF here
"It's a good day to say I want to vacate all the belts I currently hold," the star addressed fans in a video posted on social media.
"I want to make them available so the guys who are next in line can fight for them.
"Friends, I'm leaving the belts, but I'm not leaving the sport, because I still have my last dance. I want to thank everyone.
"I have great respect for all organisations. I want to thank everyone and say there's more to come."
Widely considered among the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all-time, Usyk was a three-time undisputed champion.
Starting at cruiserweight following gold-medal success at London 2012, the star united the division in his early pro career.
He subsequently moved to heavyweight and swept the board twice, most recently last summer in a rematch with Daniel Dubois.
Usyk's decision to vacate will intensify speculation that he could opt to take a rematch with Verhoeven while avoiding Kabayel.
The hard-hitting German called out the veteran star in the ring in Egypt, and had hoped to secure a shot at him later this year.
Other stars who could benefit from the star's decision include rising heavyweight Moses Itauma, who faces Filip Hrgovic in August.
Zayas vs. Ennis - watch only on DAZN
Xander Zayas defends his WBO and WBA super welterweight titles against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on Saturday, June 27, exclusively live on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Joshua vs. Prenga (July 25) and Canelo vs. M'billi (Sept 12) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
