In July, Oleksandr Usyk put the brakes on Daniel Dubois for a second time, solidifying his status as a three-time undisputed champion in both cruiserweight and heavyweight. Talk about a heavyweight title with a side of déjà vu! All eyes are now on a possible showdown with the interim WBO champ, Joseph Parker. Let the games begin! The WBO has given Usyk the green light to defend his titles, but it seems his team has hit the brakes on negotiations, blaming an injury for the delay. Yet, Parker’s promoter, David Higgins, couldn’t resist highlighting a viral clip of Usyk showing off his dance moves.

He suggested that someone with a serious injury wouldn’t normally be able to move like that. Regardless, Usyk was granted a 90-day extension by the WBO after he presented medical evidence while recovering from the injury. Parker is now facing Fabio Wardley in October this year. Fast forward to September 9, a report from ESPN revealed that Usyk will compete in a charity football match in Portugal on September 15, named the ‘Legends Charity Game,’ which will be held at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.

Oleksandr Usyk played for a cause

The charity game featured former Premier League stars such as Edwin van der Sar, Petr Čech, John Terry, and Michael Owen, among others. CEO of Sport Global, Rasmus Sojmark, revealed that the undisputed heavyweight champion personally reached out to him and asked to take part. Although the match was primarily for ex-footballers, Sojmark agreed—it was Usyk asking, after all. 

The Ukrainian boxer used the occasion to promote his charitable initiative, the Usyk Foundation, which supports communities in Ukraine and the country’s army. Meanwhile, the CEO of Usyk’s team, Sergey Lapin, clarified that recovery doesn’t mean complete inactivity. “Usyk has not been prescribed bed rest; he is allowed to take part in charity sporting events and engage in moderate physical activity,” Lapin told Ready to Fight. 

He added, “But it’s obvious that dancing or attending events is not the same as a three-month training camp for a title fight.” Regardless, Everything Boxing shared a clip from the match on X, captioning: “Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk playing in the Portugal Legends vs World Legends football game today.” This comes as Terence Crawford was promoted to the No.1 spot in Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings after he defeated Canelo Alvarez.

Oleksandr Usyk, who previously held the spot, has now been moved down to the second spot on the rankings. Regardless, despite his team’s explanation, the footage ignited criticism online, with calls to strip Usyk of his titles spreading quickly across social media.

Fans allege Usyk faked his injury

The clip went viral, and one user questioned whether Usyk was injured. “Is he not injured?” Usyk will now return to boxing and decide whether to fight the winner of Parker and Wardley or relinquish his title altogether. 

Another user sarcastically poked fun at Usyk. “Is this recent? I thought he was injured 😂😂,” the user commented. Usyk is not bedridden despite his injury. 

The next user demanded that Usyk be stripped immediately. “Is this recent? I thought he was injured 😂😂,” the user wrote. However, that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. 

Meanwhile, this user blamed Frank Warren for not pushing hard enough for the fight. “Lol Usyk really doesn’t give a f—k about fighting Joseph Parker, but tbf I don’t think Frank and Queensberry really pushed as hard to make the fight as they may have claimed,” the user commented. Regardless of how much a promoter pushes for a fight, the decision lies with the fighter. 

Someone else roped in Joseph Parker into the conversation. “Parker is gonna love this 💀,” the user commented. However, he can’t really do anything until Usyk agrees to fight him. 

Having said that, it appears Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to play the football match has caused fans to turn on him. However, did Usyk really deserve all the criticism?