By: Sean Crose
Some people feel there are too many belts in professional boxing. Still, it’s hard to argue against the WBC’s new belt, created to commemorate the May 18 undisputed heavyweight championship bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Why? Because the new belt literally received the Pope’s Blessing. That’s right, Pope Francis himself personally blessed the commemorative belt after it was presented to him by WBC honcho Mauricio Suleiman. This is not the first time He has participated in the field of sweet science. Back in 2019, Pope Francis appointed Deontay Wilder, who visited him, “Representative of Boxers and Ambassador for Peace through Sports.”
With that in mind, it always shows that your upcoming fight is a pretty big deal when the main leaders are involved (no pun intended). And Fury-Usyk is nothing if not a major event. Because, barring the unlikely, a new undisputed heavyweight champion will emerge for the first time in decades. Perhaps to make things more interesting, it’s hard to know who will actually win this loss. At his best (and he’s not always at his best) Fury is considered an all-time great. Usyk, on the other hand, is a walking, talking man, an undefeated master gunning for his second undisputed championship (before moving to heavyweight, Usyk was the undisputed cruiserweight champion world debate).
Although neither man is a Roman Catholic, both Fury and Usyk are devout Christians, which perhaps makes Pope Francis’ blessing all the more serious. (for these two men) than what might be expected. With that in mind, many famous warriors have received audiences with the Pope over the years. Indeed, boxers from Riddick Bowe to Sergio Martinez to Arthur Abraham have all received audiences with the Pope. The highly anticipated fight between Fury and Usyk will be broadcast live from Saudi Arabia on May 18 on DAZN, ESPN+ and PPV TV.
*Photo: Sky Sports
