WBC Orders Okolie-Itauma Heavyweight Eliminator

Bangkok, Thailand – The World Boxing Council announced a series of mandatory bouts and title updates during the second day of its 63rd annual convention here, with the heavyweight division drawing the most attention as officials ordered a final eliminator between Lawrence Okolie and Moses Itauma to determine the next challenger for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles, received clearance for a voluntary defense in the first half of 2026, potentially against Deontay Wilder, whom he has publicly expressed interest in facing. The Ukrainian fighter vacated his WBO belt last month after being ordered to defend against Fabio Wardley, signaling his focus on high-profile matchups as he approaches 38 and contemplates retirement. The winner of the Okolie-Itauma bout, scheduled for spring 2026 pending their upcoming fights, will become Usyk's mandatory challenger or could be elevated to full champion if he vacates the WBC title.

Okolie, the top-ranked contender at 22-1 with 16 knockouts, faces an opponent to be determined on December 19 in Nigeria. Itauma, 13-0 with 11 knockouts and ranked fourth, is set to headline against Jermaine...