What's next for Usyk?

[joshj909]

Quite simple, what should Usyk do next? 3 options each so select the next three things you'd want to see from him

[DrDuke]

If Parker wins, they'll probably make Parker. It's tough to predict Parker vs Dub. I believe, Kabayel wins Zhang and I think, that Kabayel is the biggest threat, thus I pick him.

[joshj909]

If Parker wins, they'll probably make Parker. It's tough to predict Parker vs Dub. I believe, Kabayel wins Zhang and I think, that Kabayel is the biggest threat, thus I pick him.

I was trying to factor that all in but I've changed the options to make it reflect that

[dempseyfire]

If Parker wins, they'll probably make Parker. It's tough to predict Parker vs Dub. I believe, Kabayel wins Zhang and I think, that Kabayel is the biggest threat, thus I pick him.

Kayabel is WAAAY too easy to hit to trouble Usyk. People forget that the two propects Kayabel beat hadn't fought anyone of note themselves (OK the big Russian fought an old Takam and IMO that fight could've gone either way)

Only good fight IMO is Opetai at heavyweight. Only fighter with the speed, conditioning and skill to make it interesting.

[DrDuke]

If Parker wins, they'll probably make Parker. It's tough to predict Parker vs Dub. I believe, Kabayel wins Zhang and I think, that Kabayel is the biggest threat, thus I pick him.

Kayabel is WAAAY too easy to hit to trouble Usyk. People forget that the two propects Kayabel beat hadn't fought anyone of note themselves (OK the big Russian fought an old Takam and IMO that fight could've gone either way)

Only good fight IMO is Opetai at heavyweight. Only fighter with the speed, conditioning and skill to make it interesting.

Kabayel is a decent pressure fighter. That type is probably the worst for Usyk.

[Contendeh]

He’s 38. Years of clean living and commitment to his craft has kept him in incredible shape. However, he is still 38. (Many ATGs were done well before that age).

I think he holds tight and waits for February. If DDD wins, I see Usyk v DDD in the second half of 2025. If not, today could have been his last fight.

[joshj909]

For me, I don't want to see him against Dubois again or Fury or Joshua. At this stage, it's about improving his legacy. If he can unify the belts again against the younger Parker whose been on a great run then that's impressive. If he can beat Opetaia at CW or HW then that's beating the future of that division which again solidifies his legacy. If he needs to beat Kabayel or Bakole before facing Opetaia, who might want to face Ramirez, first then I also wouldn't mind that.

If he can't do any of those, I'd probably rather him retire instead of fighting too long and losing to guys he has no right to lose to.

[KiwiRider]

A four belt heavyweight champion?
Yes please, I'm all for there being only one top dog. Was sick of Wilder banging on about being the baddest man on the planet, we need just one thanks

[goose 5]

I suspect he'll fight Parker next; I expect Parker beats Dubois. However, a return to cruiser intrigues me more.

[Contendeh]

How important to his legacy is it for Usyk to fight a huge knockout fighter?

Joshua and Dubois are not feather fisted. Still, I can see an argument made that it improves his legacy to fight a monster puncher.

[gilgamesh]

How important to his legacy is it for Usyk to fight a huge knockout fighter?

Joshua and Dubois are not feather fisted. Still, I can see an argument made that it improves his legacy to fight a monster puncher.

Who would that be at the moment?

[gilgamesh]

As for what's next for Usyk. I really can't imagine there's anything more important legacy wise out there for him, and he is 38 years old so I don't see much good reason for him to continue. If he does fight again there's still plenty of interesting fights to be made. If he doesn't. What a tremendous Champion he's been.

[gregregegg]

This is a really tough call, usyk will be 38 in a few weeks, and he is a small reflex style fighter which is a style I think ages poorly. I’d like to see him retire before he gets beat by someone worse than him.

That said, Mabey there’s 3 or 4 quality wins left in him befor someone manages to beat him, and it would be a shame to leave 3 or 4 quality wins on the board.

He is the king of this era, and at this point a loss can’t change that…He has the cash so I think legacy is the name of the game if he continues.

Options are

-Beterbiev at cruiser. Undisputed vs undisputed at an inbetween weight… Russia vs ukrain, believe they have amature history. This is kinda epic… (only an option if beterbieve wins and looks good febuary)

-opetia at cruiser (go back to cruiser and beat the best current cruiserweight)

-opetia at heavyweight (let the best cruiser try step up like you once did)

-parker (if he beats DDD). Undisputed re unification against one of the clear best guys of the last 10 years.

-Zhang (if he beats kab) big bang Zhang freak show will always be fun, especially with sooo much contrast in size and skill.

-Moses, 38 vs 20… changing of the guard fight, usyks skill and experence would almost certainly be too much but it would give Moses a chance at the record youngest champ if his fast hands and youthful athleticism got though… and for usyk if he beats Moses but Moses goes on to be great himself it will be good for the legacy getting a win over the next generation (even if everyone says he got him too young)…

That’s it for me. No one else adds anything to usyks resume enough to be worth fighting.

[margaret thatcher]

opetai is the only interesting one for me tbh - a contrast to the giants he's been beating lately, but arguably more of a problem with all that speed. the best cruiser of 1 generation vs arguably the top cruiser of the last few years

[gilgamesh]

opetai is the only interesting one for me tbh - a contrast to the giants he's been beating lately, but arguably more of a problem with all that speed. the best cruiser of 1 generation vs arguably the top cruiser of the last few years

He actually had as difficult of a fight with Mairis Breidis as he's had with any of these big giant Heavyweights right? Maybe speed troubles him more than size and power. I can easily imagine that being the case.

[Syntax Error]

I suspect he'll fight Parker next; I expect Parker beats Dubois. However, a return to cruiser intrigues me more.

There's no way he's going back down.

That would be a suicidal move, dropping down at 39 years old to face a much younger guy and potential HOFer.

If anything, Opetaia should be moving up, because the CW division is not very glamorous.

[tigermoth87]

When Parker beats Dubois, he'll have established himself as the second best. A fight with him and then retirement I think.

But really, there is nobody else worth bothering with. Take Kabayel's 0 maybe.

[apollo creed]

DDD or Parker

[joshj909]

I suspect he'll fight Parker next; I expect Parker beats Dubois. However, a return to cruiser intrigues me more.

There's no way he's going back down.

That would be a suicidal move, dropping down at 39 years old to face a much younger and potential HOFer.

If anything, Opetaia should be moving up, because the CW division I'd not very glamorous.

It would solidify him as the best cruiserweight ever. In my opinion he already is, but he beat the best two guys of the last generation in Briedis and Gassiev and if he was to go and beat Opetaia too then it just cements his cruiserweight legacy. He's probably not too far off the out of camp weight he was for cruiserweight right now but obviously weight cuts are tough and his speed will have dropped. That's the thing that all time great resumes are made of though.

[ewenhay]

There will always be calls for him to fight someone else.

He's proved he's the best of his era at both cruiser and heavy. Doesn't need to do anything else if he doesn't want to.

Someone in the new era will beat him at some point if he carries on. Father time will catch up with everyone eventually. But he'll still be remembered as the best of HIS era regardless.

[funso banjo baby]

I would argue the dubois rematch is better and more legit than the Fury and Joshua rematches.

I'm very anti rematches generally.

And who wouldn't want to see usyk v zhang or bakole?

[zorndeslammes]

In a perfect world, Usyk would beat up someone on the fringes while waiting for Parker/Dubois; I know calling this world "imperfect" is an overstatement so that's not a thing that happens. Instead he'll fight once next year against either Parker or Dubois. Hopefully he at least fights the winner.

[Contendeh]

How important to his legacy is it for Usyk to fight a huge knockout fighter?

Joshua and Dubois are not feather fisted. Still, I can see an argument made that it improves his legacy to fight a monster puncher.

Who would that be at the moment?

At this very moment you’d have to say Bakole seems to have that honor by the boxing public even though Dubois has a higher knockout percentage.

If Bakole knocks out the other top ten guys over the next few years, there will be those who say Usyk avoided him.
Bakole isn’t there yet though.

[Syntax Error]

I suspect he'll fight Parker next; I expect Parker beats Dubois. However, a return to cruiser intrigues me more.

There's no way he's going back down.

That would be a suicidal move, dropping down at 39 years old to face a much younger and potential HOFer.

If anything, Opetaia should be moving up, because the CW division I'd not very glamorous.

It would solidify him as the best cruiserweight ever. In my opinion he already is, but he beat the best two guys of the last generation in Briedis and Gassiev and if he was to go and beat Opetaia too then it just cements his cruiserweight legacy. He's probably not too far off the out of camp weight he was for cruiserweight right now but obviously weight cuts are tough and his speed will have dropped. That's the thing that all time great resumes are made of though.

You make a fair point, but I will always cite Roy Jones Jr.

He went up to HW, won a title, then immediately dropped back down to 175 and looked like dog sh!t and was never the same fighter again and he was only 34.

I can envisage the same thing happening to Usyk who is pushing 40, plus with the added danger of facing Jai Opetaia, who is potentially a great fighter in the making.

[tiny_acres]

I wish Jalalov would step up. He has the talent to compete with Usyk but has not come close to earning a ranking yet. Let alone a title shot