Oleksandr Usyk has returned home to Ukraine, but he’s still making headlines all over the world. In a recent press conference, he named one other man he would consider facing in the ring if his fight with Tyson Fury doesn’t materialise.
The Ukrainian, who kept his unified heavyweight titles with an impressive victory over Anthony Joshua, has made it clear that being undisputed in the division is his goal. In fact, he went so far as to say that if he couldn’t fight Tyson Fury, he didn’t want to fight at all.
That was immediately after his fight with AJ, but now that he’s had some time to reflect, it appears he would consider lacing up the gloves for one other heavyweight. He revealed the name at the press conference, as reported by The Mirror.
“We’ll see. I don’t want to make empty statements. Look, I’m just not interested… I could still box with Tyson Fury or with [Deontay] Wilder, but that’s where my interest ends.”
“It won’t happen this year, that’s for sure. As I said earlier at the presser, I’m totally healthy and don’t have any injuries, but I have old traumas which have resurfaced, and which need to be treated. I will need up to two months to recuperate.”
With Deontay Wilder holding no titles – the WBC belt that was once his is now held tightly by Fury – one can assume that Usyk simply likes the challenge.
There’s no doubt that it would be an intriguing fight – one the master boxer and the other who possesses the ultimate equaliser.
With new information from Fury about a potential fight this year against an unnamed opponent, and Wilder lined up to face Robert Helenius on October 15, it seems the heavyweight division will tick over until Usyk is ready to get back into the ring next year.
Fans will surely hope to see the two champions meet to crown an undisputed king, but the idea of a Usyk – Wilder bout certainly isn’t a terrible alternative.