The trophy is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the legendary fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
At stake is the long-awaited rematch between the holder of the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBO heavyweight titles Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Furynot only the belts owned by the Ukrainian boxer will be on display.
World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman announced that the winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch will receive a unique trophy – a commemorative championship belt dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the legendary fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, which was called “The Rumble in the Jungle”.
The belt is made of gold and decorated with a leopard print, and on its sides there are special plates with images of the Ukrainian and British boxers. According to Suleiman, this exclusive trophy was “designed and created in the heart of Africa.”
“Rumble in the Jungle” is considered one of the greatest boxing matches of the 20th century. The fight took place on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now – DR Congo). Then Ali knocked Foreman out in the eighth round, handing the champion the first defeat of his career.
Put the Rumble in the 50th anniversary friendly bulletin, the iconic WBC heavyweight champs between @MuhammadAli vs @GeorgeForeman is made and created in the heart of africa. This one special trophy was to be awarded to the fighter #UsykFury2 this day in… pic.twitter.com/wLebny8iFe
— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) December 17, 2024
The Usyk-Fury rematch will take place on December 21 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Unlike the first fight, this time the title of absolute world champion will not be at stake, since Alexander previously renounced the IBF title. Now it is owned by Briton Daniel Dubois, who has already managed to defend it by knocking out his compatriot Anthony Joshua.
Recall that on the night of May 19, 2024, Usyk won by split decision against Fury in a fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion. At the end of the ninth round, Alexander knocked his opponent down.
Thus, Alexander defended the WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF belts, and also took the WBC title from the “Gypsy King”. Usyk became the first absolute world champion in the super heavyweight division in the 21st century.
Before this, the last “absolute” in the heavyweight division was Lennox Lewis, who won this status in 1999, when he defeated Evander Holyfield. At that time, the WBA, WBC and IBF titles were at stake. The WBO belt was recognized as equal in 2007, so Usyk became the first “absolute” in the super heavyweight division in history with four main titles.
