Gassiev is the new WBA heavyweight champion
The Russian boxer officially received the WBA title after Usik left. On July 11, he defends the belt against Tony Yok in Moscow.
Russian boxer Murat Gassiev is officially recognized as the new WBA world heavyweight champion after Alexander Usik renounced his titles. Gassiev received the status of a full-fledged WBA champion without a fight - the decision was approved after Usik’s voluntary departure from the division. This is the first time in the history of Russian boxing that a heavyweight won the WBA title without a title fight.
Usyk previously held the WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO belts, but in April 2024 announced his retirement from heavyweight to focus on fighting in the cruiserweight division. The transfer of the WBA title to Gassiev was made possible thanks to the organization’s rules, which allow for the automatic promotion of a challenger if the current champion refuses to defend the belt. PRO 19 tournament to defend his new title in a fight against Frenchman Tony Yok.
