WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO Won't Sanction Title Fights in Russia After Invasion of Ukraine

Boxing's four governing organizations—WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO—announced in a joint statement they won't sanction any title bouts in Russia as a result of the country's invasion of Ukraine, per Mike Coppinger of ESPN.

Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is slated to face Russian Dmitry Bivol, the current WBA light heavyweight champion, on May 7. A location has not yet been announced, but the two sides are reportedly targeting T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, per Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports.

Bivol's last match took place in his home country, where he defeated Umar Salamov on Dec. 11 to defend his title in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

There is a boxing card scheduled for March 26 in Ekaterinburg featuring Magomed Kurbanov vs. Patrick Teixeira. Kurbanov is currently No. 8 in ESPN's junior middleweight rankings.

WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev is also Russian and defended his titles on his home soil in March 2021, although his next bout will likely take place in New York against Joe Smith Jr., per Coppinger.

The boxing world has already been entwined in international politics, with former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko becoming the mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv after his retirement from the sport. Vitali and his brother Wladimir Klitschko have pleaded for Russia to stop the invasion and are each expected to take up arms to defend their home country.

WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk has returned to Ukraine as well and has pleaded for no war. Vasiliy Lomachenko has also enlisted in the "territorial defense forces of his country," per Marca.