Oleksandr Usyk started it all when he made the unprecedented business decision to vacate his remaining alphabet collection while explicitly maintaining that he is not retiring. Instead, the Ukrainian maestro has chosen to defend his lineal crown on his own terms against marquee, handpicked challenges—leaving the sanctioning bodies to scramble and distribute four splintered world titles.
Now, we find ourselves in the bizarre situation of having five different men claiming heavyweight supremacy. But make no mistake: just like the historical precedents of Michael Spinks, George Foreman, Shannon Briggs, and Tyson Fury before him, Usyk remains the one and only true lineal world heavyweight champion. The four alphabet titlists beneath him are all competing under the shadow of the true throne.
Yet, despite the absurdity of alphabet politics, this fractured landscape has unexpectedly transformed the division into must-watch theater. Without a bottleneck at the top, the heavyweight scene has become an unpredictable, high-stakes proving ground where nobody can coast on past glory or hype.
We just saw veteran Filip Hrgovic complete the ultimate redemption arc by surviving a knockdown and drowning young phenom Moses Itauma to capture the vacant IBF belt. Then, towering underdog Damian Knyba kicked the saloon doors wide open by upsetting former unified king Andy Ruiz Jr, instantly validating WBC champion Agit Kabayel in the process. Add in Murat Gassiev holding the WBA, plus the October 17th rematch between WBO champion Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley, and the scramble is wide open.
Who is the #1 guy among the four alphabet belt-holders right now?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner explores the madness. This is Rummy’s Corner (written, narrated, and produced by Geoffrey Ciani).
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