Overview
- Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished the WBO heavyweight belt, Reuters reported on Nov. 17, after declining to face the WBO-mandated interim champion.
- The decision breaks his clean sweep of the four major titles he unified in July and moves the WBO strap into its next procedural stage.
- In Yokohama on Nov. 18, former WBA bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue opened training to media ahead of a WBC title-deciding bout.
- Inoue said he has completed running and sparring and feels in peak condition for the Nov. 24 fight at Toyota Arena Tokyo.
- He faces former kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa, unbeaten 7-0 in pro boxing, and said he aims to deliver Nasukawa’s first loss as the opponent’s team observed the session.