With Oleksandr Usyk’s latest victory, the path is a little clearer for him to face fellow heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, in an undisputed bout.
The fight would crown the division’s first sole champion since Lennox Lewis, and is regarded by most as one of the most important contests to be made in the sport.
On debating the outcomes, former foes Carl Froch and George Groves come up with difference outcomes.
Speaking on The Verdict, Groves said he believes Usyk has everything he needs to defeat ‘The Gypsy King.’
“I’d like to see him fight Tyson Fury. I think he beats Tyson Fury. I think Usyk’s the best heavyweight in the world right now. It won’t be an easy fight for him, but I think he’ll have the ability, the boxing IQ, the athleticism and cope with Fury’s mind games.
Everything else that Fury has that’s always been a major attribute for him, I think Usyk has either seen before of can cope with. He’s always had to travel and he’s always come up trumps. He’s always won.
And Fury hasn’t boxed that regularly of late. He hasn’t really been challenged – that’s not necessarily his fault.”
Froch – who won both fights against Groves, the second being much more conclusive – said Fury still had it in him to beat Usyk and confirm his status as the best of a generation.
“I think he’s still at the top of his game. I think it’s difficult for him to get that little bit of weight off that he likes to lose before he jumps in the ring, cause he holds that fat round his belly and his love handles.
But he gets himself into shape, and I personally think the fight with Usyk – it wouldn’t be easy for Tyson Fury – but I think he dominates the fight. I think he keeps him at range and out-muscles him and leans on him. I don’t think will be able to get anything going.”
Groves said Usyk has the ability to be out of range when he needed to be, and the angles to make it hard for Fury to capitalise on any size advantage.
Froch agreed that it’s tough to envisage the elite Ukrainian getting beat, but stuck by his Fury pick.
The debate sums up the intrigue of a fight that has struggled to get made in the past, and may just do so again.
Despite both teams now saying they are willing to restart negotiations, there is now another mandatory challenger in Filip Hrgovic ready to step in the way of progress.