WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman admitted he initially thought Oleksandr Usyk’s announcement that he was vacating the heavyweight title was an AI-generated video after discovering the news on social media instead of hearing it directly from the champion.
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Usyk announced Friday that he is relinquishing the WBC heavyweight championship, ending his reign with the organization. The news appeared to take Sulaiman completely by surprise, with the WBC president revealing he first learned of the decision through a video posted online.
“What a disappointment for me to learn from a social media video that our heavyweight champion is vacating his WBC title. This is the current life we ​​live in, I would even think it is AI. I personally wish Usyk great success in his life in and out of the ring,” Sulaiman wrote on social media. Xin response to the news of Usyk vacating his WBC title.
The reaction highlighted how unexpected the announcement was for the WBC. Rather than receive advance notice from one of boxing’s biggest stars, Sulaiman said he initially questioned whether the video itself was even real before realizing Usyk had indeed decided to give up the title.
Losing Usyk as its heavyweight champion is a huge blow to the WBC. The undefeated Ukrainian was one of the sport’s top attractions, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of his era before opting to relinquish the belt.
While disappointed with how he heard the news, Sulaiman ended his message on a respectful note, wishing Usyk success in and out of the ring as the WBC begins the process of crowning a new heavyweight champion.
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Last updated on 2026/06/26 at 15:23
