'Let them all go!' - Top-ranked British contender urges Usyk to vacate heavyweight titles

Lawrence Okolie has urged Oleksandr Usyk to consider relinquishing his undisputed heavyweight crown, freeing up the division's many contenders to finally challenge again.

The Ukrainian united all four belts again in July after he regained the IBF crown against Daniel Dubois, and has since been ordered to face WBO interim title holder Joseph Parker.

But suggestions last week that Usyk is yet to open discussions with the New Zealander have suggested he may relinquish the belt instead for another blockbuster opponent.

Now Okolie, ranked #1 by the WBC, has spoken out and believes Usyk should release all four of his titles rather than hoard them until he hangs up his gloves in the near future.

"Everyone is begging Usyk now," he told The Ring. "Every boxer, every heavyweight boxer, every heavyweight trainer, every heavyweight manager, every heavyweight promoter.

"They're saying it because he's holding up all the belts. Let them all go. Let everyone else have a Royal Rumble. Whether or not any of us believe we can beat Usyk isn't the point.

"You're stuck to all the belts being challenged for once or twice a year. Say there's four interim guys waiting, they have to wait two years depending on which gets pulled first.

"I think everything does sort of wait on Usyk. Maybe it's just wishful thinking [but] if he doesn't box Joseph Parker next [...] why would you let go of one and not let go of them all?"

Usyk is expected to only fight once more before retirement, with trilogy bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua both mooted, as well as a rematch with Derek Chisora.

If he was to vacate the belts, then Okolie would be primed to challenge for the WBC crown against interim champion Agit Kabayel, an encounter he would be happy to make.

"I don’t really like words like destined, but I think it’s looking aligned," he added. "He’s obviously interim champion. I'm silver [champion] and number-one ranked.

"[It depends] on what Usyk does. Usyk might decide he just wants to box Kabayel. He might decide he wants to box Parker. He might decide he wants to box someone else.

"So I don't think much is going to move until Usyk makes that decision but whether it’s next or the immediate one after that, I think me and Kabayel are going to fight."

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