Is Usyk still the World Heavyweight Championship (in your view)?

I would say Usyk is world heavyweight champion until he loses, he retires or another fighter becomes undisputed champion with all the sanctioning body titles.

 

Of course he is. Until he retires or loses the fight.

Even then Usyk would still be the champion. We would just have 2 legitimate champs.

 

He's not the best HW in the world.

But he's the lineal HW champ.

 

Not for me

I don't care about the Ring propoganda belt

 

He still has a valid claim but it is seriously contested now. Until he retires for good or loses, he will have a claim.

The claims of others become more legit as they make defences, win big fights, unify titles etc. If another HW collected all the belts while Usyk were still active, he would generally be seen as the "real champ", especially if it wasn't Usyk-victims Dubois or Gassiev.

 

This "propaganda belt" is literally the oldest belt in business and follows the traditional rules of the championship way closer than alphabet organizations.

 

No I saw his decision as him stepping down from championship level. Basically semi-retirement.

 

Yes; who beat Usyk?

 

What's a championship level anyway? Deontay Wilder was fighting bums for 3 years after winning the WBC belt, but some people still called him the champion.

 

That’s just marketing to me. Like when Fury was marketed as lineal champ after he had retired and served a PED ban.

I like Usyk and I hope he continues to win, but he has effectively told us he’s not going to fighting the other top guys anymore. That’s fair enough at his age. I’ll consider whoever comes out on top now the titles have been scattered as the champ. I expect it to be Itauma.

 

No he's not


He relinquished the title by vacating the belts and basically admitting he's only interested in one last gimmick fight

I'm not gonna let him hold the Heavyweight title hostage