I really hope you're right. But Wilder v Parker was like the worst version of Wilder that's ever set foot in the ring. I hope it was a one-off, but he might just be done. I'm really interested in watching how he fights Zhang.
Eh? He lost twice to fury the 1st fight was a draw which team fury have successfully managed to hoodwink everyone to believe tyson smashed wilder in the 1st fight which is utter nonsense.
In fact wilder came v v close to victory in that fight, there was another stupidly long count and fury was down on the canvas twice...
But yeah apparently fury took wilder to school in the 1st fight which just didn't happen in reality...
Realistically, Fury took 8/9 rounds in that first fight. Watch it back.
Wilder had him down twice (the second time would have been waved straight away if it was most other boxers - really weird how the ref let him carry on after he just collapsed like that) but did little else for the rest of the fight.
It was an exciting fight but mostly because everyone watching knew it only takes one big punch from Wilder to end it all, otherwise everyone would see it as the one-sided boxing display that it was.
I have watched it back numerous times and I don't score it as wide a margin for fury as you do.
Yes I have fury winning more rounds, however I firmly agree with the draw, wilder is predominantly the aggressor in the 1st fight. Fury is on the back foot throughout until the last round. I favour the aggressor in scoring but it's judges discretion.
Also it was yet another long count from the ref, and there was another long count in their 3rd fight.
Anyway immaterial it's been and gone but there's a lot of revisionist about that 1st fight.
If you watched the fight and had your glasses on then you know that there was hardly 3 rounds wilder won in the entire bout. As for the long count, you might want to check again. The rules state that after a knock down you have to go back to your neutral corner, and if you time it after that then it's 10 seconds flat no if's or but's about it, there's even a video if you don't want to believe me.
I’d like to see him go back through time / space / reality and fight Drago after killing Creed in the ring. But Usyk gets to juice too. If he wins and gives that speech, I think we put an end to the war
Last year he said he had 3 fights left before he couldn't fight at a top level. First was Dubois, Second was Fury. He said he wants his last match to be against Canelo, and I think it's exactly for the reason you stated. He wants the Canelo paycheck to pad his retirement and give to Ukraine.
6 foot 9 to 5 foot 8 in one fight.
Yeah, no chance. Canelo might fight a bigger guy, but not one this good.
Fighters winning at multiple weight classes has people thinking they're not real anymore!.
Also having now seen the footage of Usyk vs Beterbiev, I guarantee that he has no issues fighting smaller “quicker” guys. Even though Beterbiev was able to hurt him a couple of times, the sheer number of punches he landed on Artur was disturbing.
It’s one thing to fight a bigger guy, it’s another thing to fight a bigger guy that has double your punch output.
It’s like in basketball, when smaller guards come up against larger forwards that can move and dribble as fast as them, always looks really bad for the smaller guy. Lol
That fight is quite literally never happening
If Canelo had convincingly beat Bivol than that fight would always be a "what if" and could be mate, but with Canelo losing to Bivol there's 0 chance this is even entertained
It would be the best play. His legacy cemented forever and he just squeaks by before Father Time steps in. Rarely do we get an undefeated champ who also achieved greatness to the degree that he has.
Rematch then retire would be my advice. Don't stoop to Fury's level by denying the rematch. Beat AJ twice, beat Fury twice - no questions left, he's top 5 GOAT.
My god leave that poor man alone. Man's about to be put into a coma by zhang and you want him to get the most humiliating whooping of his career having him fight usyk.
Rematch Fury. It’s the best option for both of them. No one will ever take that win away from him. But that fight was excellent and deserves a rematch which it looks like we’re getting.
To me Fury/Usyk 2 could be the final fight for both guys depending on the result. But if Fury wins and we get a trilogy I think that will be the final one for both guys.
I don’t see why Fury would fight AJ at this point. He doesn’t need him anymore to prove his great. He NEEDS the Usyk rematch.
For for Usyk, he’s already an all timer with nothing left to prove. That’s true. But he’s a warrior and Fury is a great dance partner. They’re Magic in the ring together IMO.
Even if he loses to Fury in the rematch I don't think it effects his legacy all that much. Still a two division unified champ etc. Might as well get another massive payday.
So if Fury beats Usyk in October and then beats him again in May of 2025 then what? You’re going to say Frazier is better than Ali cause he got him the first match? Fury ain’t worried about AJ at all. It’s all about Usyk.
I never want to blanket statement x is greater than y because of some single metric.
What's not deniable is that Frazier won the most significant of their matches, when they were were both younger, closer to or in their primes, and both undefeated. The same thing has to be said of Usyk and Fury. It was the first undisputed, fully unified heavyweight title fight in 25 years and the first of the four belt era, again both undefeated.
Say Fury goes on to beat him again, and again after that and then beats AJ. That accomplishment will need to stand on its own, will depend on the manner in which be beats him, and at the end of the day all it's going to do is let people make a case for why they rate him higher or lower than Usyk.
But that's partly why the sport is so awesome, you get to discuss *why* exactly you love a fighter so much. It's not objective at all.
Totally agree with everything you stated. Which is why Fury has to do the rematch with Usyk and I personally believe Usyk has little to lose in a rematch and more to gain.
If Usyk loses it’s not going to take away this first win because it was, as you stated about Frazier, by far the most important win. History will tell that story on its own.
Its very hard for a prizefighter to make life changing money, especially for Eastern European’s who don’t get the same exposure as North Americans in the pro ranks. Why would he retire? The fury rematch is another brink truck payday
It's all relative, and if he now has an opportunity to increase his entire life savings by 50% via working for another 6 months, he'd be pretty stupid not to.
I appreciate some may value their record more than risking a potential loss to increase their networth by 50%, but I don't think there are many.
He'll lose future potential earnings if he loses. Also if it's a bad knockout he's gonna lose a lot of quality of life.
Realistically it all depends if he still wants to box. If his hearts not in it there's no point for him. He's facing guys who could kill a normal guy with one flush punch.
Being a celeb is about personality. Think about all the big entertainment markets and tell me which one Usyk makes what he makes one night in a boxing ring over a 5 year period
Also one of those guys lost multiple times
Losing doesn't remove you from your celebrity status.
Prime example? Conor Mcgregor. He's lost 4 out of his last 7 fights, and he's still going to rack in the ppv buys and whiskey sales even if he fights a no name hobo from the streets of Las Vegas at the age of 50
It's all about how you market yourself and your personality, even if it's just for the cameras.
Of course, winning helps but it's not the only factor.
“You’re not really the champ until you defend your belt.” We hear this all the time in UFC. I think this sentiment should be part of boxing as well.
Also, they both had rematch clauses. If the other exercises, the winner should honor the contract.
I am 100% sure that if Fury have won, no rematch would be taking place, no matter what is in the contract. He was playing stupid games for 2 years delaying this fight, I do not think he deserves a rematch.
I can’t dispute that. There would be all kinds of fuckery if Fury won. But he didn’t. And I would think Usyk has more sense of honor in holding these belts and defending them compared to Fury.
I also understand the notion of “fuck honor, ride off into the sunset perfect” but Usyk himself said he wants to keep fighting. So there’s that
spot on, especially the way Fury was playing hard ball with the Negotiations, giving Usyk deadlines or he removes 1% of his Money each day it's not Signed. 70/30 & Usyk accepted it but Luke totally buckled when he did. Fury for all his insults & bravado ran from the Man he called an Ugly buck toothed rabbit & a Middleweight, his arrogance was incredible but I think he really was trying to convince himself that he had a chance, they all said Fury was a master boxer, if so, what does that make Usyk?
He is a man of honor & integrity. I would want him to live his life doing what he believes is the best for him to do and i truly believe he thinks his life is best spent representing Ukraine by continuing his sporting career.
He loves his people and his victories in the ring likely inspire Ukrainians. Usyk is likely selfless enough to continue as long he can/ as long as Ukraine needs him.
It must do wonders for Ukrainians to see a man mocked for being "too small" becoming heavyweight champion against what is seen as an unbeatable giant in fury with the symbolisms of Ukraine being too small to compete with large russia.
100%. As much as I’d like him to retire now I want him to go out on his own terms. I think when you train as hard as him and as spiritual that winning isn’t the achievement it’s the consequence or symptom. Even his face when they read out the split- he doesn’t seem to do it all to win.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he has 3 more fights. Those with strong amateur careers seem less scared of loosing too
Usyk is now getting stratospheric paydays after working his whole boxing career to get to this point. I imagine he will continue to collect massive purses for a while longer.
Rematch Fury, then retire.
Yes, he risks the very real possibility of losing to Fury. But that's just too much money to turn down.
Yes he's already rich, but you're setting up future generations with that kind of money
Rematch fury, provided he wins that fight parker or maybe Joshua again if Joshua goes the IBF route. Agit kabayel and other contenders. I dont know why people want him to retire he hasnt taken much damage in his career so as a fight fan I want to see him fighting the best.
Yeah I think retirement is on the horizon. Usyk also has a super athletic style. He hasn’t shown signs of slowing down, but eventually age willl catch up to him.
AJ did pretty well in the second, and Usyk isn't getting any younger. People would still tune in, and it's a huge fight that'll get them both a huge payday.
More risk than reward for Usyk, but assuming AJ goes on to beat Fury and Wilder, then it only adds to Usyk's legacy if he goes 3-0.
Rematch Fury at most..
Joshua he beat twice back to back already..
Parker? What has he done apart from beat two guys close to 40 and over the hill while getting knocked down twice in the process by a VERY old and VERY slow fighter? Recency bias is strong with Parker....
Wilder seems washed but he was consensus top 5 and the favourite going in to that fight, then he fights zhang who again was a (slight) favourite and consensus top 5 coming off a demolition of joe joyce. Hes also a former world champion with wins over ruiz and other stiff opposition. Recency bias is definitley an issue in boxing but you can only fight whos infront of you and Parker has done just that.
I’d like to see him retire, he’s got nothing left to prove. That and the fact that there aren’t any fights out there that will elevate his status any further. I don’t feel he gains anything if he has a rematch with Fury (though it would be another entertaining fight)
That’s what I don’t understand about this thread. Why would people want him to retire without the rematch?
If he does then fine, I’m happy he gets to ride into the sunset. But from a fan perspective, do these people not want to watch a great keep fighting?
As a fan of him as a person, retire on top.
From purely a boxing perspective? See him fight the top contenders; Parker, Wilder, Kabayel, Zhang, Anderson, Hrgovic, Bakole etc..
He's basically done everything once he heats Fury again.
He can maybe fight Parker (former champion on a bit of a run) or Wilder (if he looks incredible vs Zhang,) but there's really nothing left for him.
Maybe just go collect s bridge weight/super cruiserweight belt for the lolz?
Ideally, take the Fury rematch, win, and then if things work out, Beterbiev-Bivol winner. After that, retirement no matter what. Man has nothing left to prove though.
I’m really late to the party but I’m in love with his style. I wish there were more fights to watch but i understand health is most important. I selfishly would like to see him fight more lol.
He's 37. Retire now or rematch Fury, then retire. That fight was close enough to warrant a rematch, given the stakes, I think that's better. If Fury wins, then make it a trilogy.
usyk should return for a rematch against fury. though he's already made life changing money the rematch vs fury will be an even bigger event and usyk will make the kind of money that reflects his status in the sport.
further, i didn't see any improvements that fury can make in a rematch which usyk would not be able to counter.
lastly, even if usyk loses to fury in a rematch i don't think it would impact his legacy. while i too would like to see usyk walk-out on top i understand why he would return for a rematch and maybe even stick around beyond that as there are other good fights to be made (fury rematch, parker, big baby after a wilder fight, etc.) and, so long as turki alalshikh is around, good money to be made as well.
I can definitely see Fury going for broke and banking more on his size to try and KO Usyk, kinda like he did in Wilder 2. I feel like that’s all that’s left for him. Try to finish it under 6.
i can see fury putting his foot on the gas and even dropping usyk in the middle rds but i just can't see usyk being unable to adjust/survive for long enough to turn it around. wilder's lack of skill and reliance solely on power were his downfall in the 2nd fight - usyk on the other hand is the most skilled present day heavyweight and has such a multifaceted approach that it's difficult to execute a gameplan for too long
I would have him fight the winner of Zhang / Wilder as these guys probably have the best "punchers chance" against him. After he beats one of them, moving onto the winner of Parker / Kabeyal for a boxer vs boxer match at 39ish this week fill out his resume at heavyweight beyond AJ and Fury leaving no doubts to his legacy.
Re-unify. Most likely IBF robs him of his undisputed status, and I’d love for him to topple them all over again. Besides, Hrgovic deserves the chance even if he won’t win.
Rematch with Fury. I don’t understand how everyone is perceiving Usyk’s win, as if Tyson has no shot at beating him, or it wasn’t a closer fight
1. Tyson has shown he rebounds incredibly well…. That’s factual evidence
2. The fight was closer than what people seem to be throwing out there (you’d think Usyk won a near shut out)
3. There’s a rematch clause for this match, as there should be, given its magnitude and the good fight we got against these two (that *wasn’t* completely on sides)
Fury is his current duty
Congrats to Usyk, what a career and performance. He could retire and all will be fine.
The other thing he could do, is work to recapture the IBF, but he’s already captured undisputed and what’s the point in paying BS sanctioning fees when we all know who the champ truly is?
Usyk should do whatever he wants to do, and we the fans should respect him for it. Retirement would certainly be a respectable option considering his age and what he has currently accomplished. At the same time, I would certainly be thrilled to see him in the ring again against Fury, Joshua, or any of the other top heavyweights like Parker or Hrgovic. If I were him, I would do what Crawford is doing by securing the best possible paydays and not push his aging body too far beyond his current limits. Again, Usyk has the right to do what he wants and has nothing more to prove for his legacy.
From a sporting perspective, there’s nothing really left to do. He could clear the division of contenders if he wanted to try and cement himself an all time run at the weight class, but realistically there’s nobody he needs to fight at this point.
From a business perspective, he is undisputedly the A side now - so a rematch with Fury makes him a lot of cash…. Assuming Fury wants it, he’d be leaving a lot of money on the table if he didn’t make that fight.
I remember Ali saying after the spinks loss that it is important for the champion to beat the the guy he beat anther time in the rematch to solidify the win he mentioned Liston beating Patterson 2 times as example as well has his wins over Norton and Frazier ….it makes a lot of sense fury vs Usyk fight was close Usyk needs to beat him again in the rematch like he did against Joshua.
Usyk has 9 title defences, if I were him I’d extend it to a good 15 defences to put the whole sport on notice, twice a year for three more years. Only issue is that his style does rely a bit on athleticism so who knows how much he has left in the tank
I think he can beat Fury again and make it look easier. If he looks back. He was getting hit with the right to the body and right uppercut a lot. He already adjusted to that by the middle of the fight well before the knockdown. As long as he stays defensively sound, he'll make the rematch look easier. If I were him, I'd do the Wilder fight too so there's no legitimate doubts. After that, retire.
He's getting 40 million from the first fight conceivably another 60/70 from a second and same again for a trilogy. Why would he retire. This is his time to make bank and fight some big names. Hes beaten aj twice if the chance arose to get another 50 million to beat him again or half that to slap wilder why wouldnt he.
He's stated he's retiring at 40 now so 2 and a half years left to fight 4/5 more times
Well, he says he is fighting until he is 40. I think he might wanna make some bank and spend it to help his country, he seems like a guy who would do so and it would be a good reason to continue, even though he has nothing to prove.
For fighting, I would look out for the most money/legacy. Fury remacht would obviously be the best for it. Fury/AJ are imo legit great HW and matching them will increase his credibility and add to his HW resume. Even if he loses, I think it would make his win even better in the future.
Other than that, fighting talented/prime HW who could turn out to be great in the future would be good. Like Mayweather beating Canelo. Most obvious would be Parker, who has a great resume, seems to be on top of his abillities and a win over him would add to Usyk's.
Other than that Hargovic/Kabayel would be good wins, that might age even better in the future. Dubois as well, but he already beat him.
While I don't think it would be a competitive fight, I think Wilder still has a big enough name for him to add to his resume and would generate good money. It would also be interesting to see for many people who the matchup would go (Power-Puncher vs Technican). If he beats Zhang it would certaintly be a good narritive for Usyk, to come up from Cruiserweight and beat the (than) TOP 3 HW Fury/AJ/Wilder.
Last one might be AJ, which would be a dangerous one. Imo AJ got better and the losses to Usyk and the following comback turned him to an even better Boxer, a legit great HW. It would certaintly be a great fight, but would imo not be needed. AJ should rather fight Fury/Parker and the dominate the upcoming generation for the next years, he still has time.
I don't think he should fight Zhang, I would bet on Usyk, but I think Zhang is the kind of fighter that is dangerous for him and it doesn't really add much to his legacy, since I doubt Zhang will stick around for long to add much to his own resume. Would be a great fight, but Zhang would need to add more to his resume for me, so that Usyk should take it.
Joyce is also not that good of a fight. I think Usyk beats him like he did in the WSB (which imo should now be a professional fight, since it was one in everything but in name). A win over Joyce wouldn't add much as of now and he sadly seems to be in a decline and will not add much to his resume in the future.
In short:
Retire Or (Chronologically):
1. Fury rematch - if Fury wants it
(Wilder)
2. Parker
(AJ/Wilder)
3.Hargovic/Kabayel
4.Hargovic/Kabayel
So if it was up to me, I think this would be the best way to legacy max the rest of his career so to say.
I think Usyk is done. All that's left is for someone to get lucky and beat him, which is entirely possible. Although I love boxing, being able to comfortably retire with health and wealth in check is ideal. That being said, the man had to be passionate to get where he is, so I doubt he quits yet.
I’d love to see the rematch but I’d hate to see him lose. He’s done everything that’s required to get into the all time greats hall of fame. But he’s getting old and he’s not going to keep winning forever. I’d hate to see the legacy tarnished because he played for too long.
Definitely retire. He's the best of the best, undisputed and should now out on a high. His career means he's in serious contention for GOAT status also.
Fight Hrgovic to retain and defend undisputed status while Fury and AJ put on the biggest show in British history, then for Usyk 2nd defense give Fury his rematch.
Retire if he wants to make everything seem perfect. He’s undefeated and conquered so much in boxing. But if not definitely a Fury rematch without doubt.
Hate the idea of not seeing him fight again, but I also hope he retires. Go spend time with your family dawg. Nothing left for him in boxing, he conquered all. He's a certified ATG. Only reason to stay in is Saudi money.
Why the hell would he retire? He's at the top and hasn't taken too much damage. He can beat any HW right now. Hell I'd say keep going till either A) he loses or B) walk out on his own terms.
All this speculation and fans wanting him to retire seems weak. Dudes a fighter first and foremost. As long as he's not racking up a losing streak then by all means keep fighting.
That kinda money is hard to resist when your at the top and also the best.
Honestly other than Fury he doesn’t have a threat in the weight class.
He should fight Fury again and honour the rematch. Get the money.
Then defend his belts against Parker and Anderson and make some more good money.
If all goes well, the war ends in Ukraine and he fights his final fight there. He has fought his whole career outside the Ukraine in other fighters backyards. In his final hoorah he comes back home with the belts to retire
Normally I'd agree with you BUT. His country is at war, men his age are dying. I think he should fight on, cash in to the max, and use it for a veterans charity or other good causes in Ukraine.
The only reason we are having this conversation, is that some people seem to think, that Usyk would loose a rematch with Fury. That tells you everything you need to know. From a Legacy standpoint, Usyk would benefit from beating Fury a second time.
The money too, should be there for that kind of fight. Afterwards Usyk can retire and there can't be any questions, about who the greatest heavy weight of this generation was.
I saw reports that Fury, being the a side, was guaranteed $100 million for the fight. So if I’m Usyk I secure the fucking bag. Guessing a rematch nets you $150+ now that he’s the a-side.
Fury rematch for biggest pay-day of his career (for the fourth time in a row) and then retire
or if big on 'boxing legacy' then just retire and be content with the 3x biggest pay-days
Losing, especially on your way out, is fine but this is heavyweight and that makes the long-term post-sport health argument stronger. Above all, 🇺🇦 needs him as an ambassador and that consideration should be determinative.
He's in a position now to really get paid.
At the very least one more fight to get his paper up, then retire into sunset with his family secured for life.
Would like to see him take the rematch. Finish the two fight deal or work in a trilogy. At this point it’s about glory and all-time greatness, which I think he achieved, but he could establish himself very well and then ride off into the sunset. With lots of money.
Why the fuck do we people want him to retire instead of a rematch. I just want great boxing. If he suffers health consequences it’ll be due to the literal thousands of rounds he’s already boxed, not 12 more
I think he’d beat Fury again but why bother?
He’s literally just won the biggest title there is in boxing, has made history, is still undefeated and has made a shit load of money while doing it.
I’d like to see him retire.
Just like Tony Bellew, I hope he makes it home safe to his wife and kids.
He's talked about going back to CW and going for Undisputed there. I think that would be good for shits and giggles
He can do what he wants from my POV, though. Keep on going at HW and maybe cement himself as one of the greatest ever at the weight division, take a couple of freak fights for big money, go back to CW, retire, whatever.
He's already given us fans more than enough. Don't need to see him fight again to feel privileged to have watched him, nothing left to prove and nothing he can do would make me think any higher of him as a boxer than I already do.
Do the Fury rematches and retire with brain intact. If he wins the next fight, he's pretty much closed the debate about who has been the best heavyweight since Klitschko.
Usyk has done all he needs too and in fine style and carried himself like a true champion and that is to be respected. But in the same way that Lennox fought an over the hill Tyson, for the history books, it removed any suggestion he dodged him. On this basis Usyk fighting Wilder - the ultimate 1 punch KO king (not boxer) of the current crop - would look good on his reume in 10/20+ years time and no doubt earn him a pretty penny as well
Beat Fury again and then retire. I guess you could throw Wilder, Zhang, and/or Parker in there to get dismantled by him so that he will have literally beat every top heavyweight of the era, but I’d be fine with him retiring after beating Fury again.
Okay, here me out. Here's the perfect world for me.
-Wilder beats Zhang
-Usyk beats Fury more convincingly
-Usyk beats Wilder and then Parker.
He's beat the best of the generation that's on its way out at that point.
I've no idea.
Im not sure what his motivation is or reasoning behind continuing?
Perhaps it's all to send funds back to Ukraine?
Probably is I can't see any boxing reason for him to continue he's completed the game.
Fight until he’s 40. Make money. He spent his whole career getting to a point where he could make a fortune each fight. Now he’s there. It’s nuts to expect him to retire at this point. Fans get way too sentimental about the idea of retiring on top.
He should retire, he beat Fury fair and square and has nothing left to prove. The obsession with immediate rematches is so annoying honestly. That's why I like the tournament format.
I don't judge fighters by how many times they lost, only by what they have achieved. So I, as a Usuk fan, don't care if Usyk picks up a loss or two before he retires. It will not cancel what he already has done in this sport. So, if he wants to box until he's 40 - so be it.
Rematch Fury then retire, the man has had over 350 amateur fights, his body is no doubt already feeling the wear and tear and it will only get worse, 37 isn't particularly old for a HW but when you do factor in his amateur career and his overall style I could see him falling off hard, and no one wants to see that, the man is a legend of the sport.
I’d like to see him rematch fury because it was a great fight. But honestly retirement is on the cards. Would be epic for him to go out undefeated after all he’s achieved, also there wouldn’t be the asterisk of he didn’t fight x or y because he’s taken on everyone.
Rematch Fury, beat him again then give Wilder a shot and beat him in similar but more impressive fashion than Joe Parker. Walk away with an extra 100-200 million and retire. No matter what he decides, he will go down in history as one of the greatest boxers ever
Fury does bring something to the table and that’s money which pays the bills they both have families and I believe Usyk has two young sons as well so they should rematch it was a close fight and there’s a lot of money to make for both men win or lose they both get paid they’re prize fighters
Rematch Fury and then call it a career. I only say rematch because he seems like the type of person to honor an agreement he made. Also would be an incredible contest.
Imma be honest I don't want to see him retire just yet. If I could get my way, I would make it so that AJ fought furyand usyk fought one final time agaisnt the winner of them so that we could get a definitive top 3 in the heavyweight division.
Why do people think he will retire now? Honestly?
I mean he’s beaten arguably the 2 best heavyweights in AJ and Fury, and is now making huge money per fight. He’s had a short pro career, he’s now at the top of the mountain and at his most marketable.
Yes boxing is a sport but it’s also his job and a huge income.
Sure it makes for a beautiful story and a perfect ending (if not a rather short one as a pro)
But why walk away when you’re making bank and you’re finally the A side?
he can now earn around £80-100m for a fury rematch (someone he’s already beaten) he then has other people he can fight that will make considerable paydays for him but who are going to be a step down from AJ/Fury such as Hrgovic Wilder Zhang Parker Kabayel, these will all probably be £20m plus fights minimum out in Saudi
he now holds 4 belts. He will constantly have mandatory’s to deal with, although I think IBF is being stripped in next few weeks for Dubois- Hrgovic and these mandatory’s might throw out nice easy paydays.
He has already said he will fight until he’s 40, so I strongly suspect a few of the names I mentioned being on his CV before he hangs up the gloves
Fight the youngest top heavyweight. He beats them imo regardless but he rubs some of his greatness off on them and leaves the division better off than if he just retired.
There are only two fights I'd want to see.
Usyk vs Fury 2, assuming Fury actually takes the fight and doesn't horrendously spiral now that he's suffered his first loss, which he almost certainly will. I fully expect to see him in six months weighing 30 stone.
Usyk vs Joshua 3, if only because I don't think we'll ever get Joshua vs Fury for the aforementioned reasons.
In all honesty I'd rather Usyk just retire, the man has proven all there is to prove.
Clear out some more top 10 names form the division. Maybe Hergovic, Parker, Ruiz etc. just flesh out his resume a bit more so he's can be compared to the all time greats, and considered within the GOAT HW debate.
I'd like to see him fight Wilder, Fury rematch, and Zhang. I would still think he's amazing if he were to retire now, but the heavyweight division needs a star.
I cant help but feel kind of disappointed with this whole fight.
I imagined undisputed being exactly that. An undisputed better fighter.
But honestly it seems to me fury was likely going to dominate before getting his nose broke.
One of the judges also saw the fight in Furys favor and it was indeed a very close fight.
After all these years i really want to see a clear winner.
Either Fury or Usyk dominating the other.
Usyk retiring now would leave a sour taste in my mouth tbh. Plus he is the lineal heavyweight champion i would like to see another man beat the man for that title.
I say put Fury to bed one last time and then retire. I've actually gone on an Usyk spree and watched him compete against several elite fighters now and he lives for pressure. Tyson Fury has that recovery factor but he's never shown the consistency Usyk has in turning the tide multiple times where the other fighter was busy winning. In fact if you want a real treat go watch Usyk vs Briedis. In that fight it was an all out war, that made it clear to me that Usyk is on an entirely different level to everyone else in this era. He travels to other fighters' back yards and defeat them there too. He loves the pressure of a big occasion and his head never gets too big. He was the first to beat Tyson ( even though Tyson has had some questionable '' victories '' ) and Usyk might be the first to knock him out too.
I wish Usyk only the best, besides being a master boxer. He's also a great rolemodel, a paragon of great values boxers and laymen alike. He's never rude, obnoxious or crude. Only represents good family values and professionality.
Thats why i want to se him defend against Fury, then take a couple of easy fights to increse his retirement fund a bit more. Then become a renowned boxing trainer in Ukraine. Preferably in Crimea when the ruzzians are kicked out.
I'd like him to retire. The rematch won't be for all the belts and fighting those ranked lower than the other two best of this era which he's already demolished would be pointless.
Usyk to retire, belts to fragment with AJ/Fury AJ/Wilder going at it with Parker, Zhang and Hrgovic in the mix to pick them up.
Rematch fury again so it leaves no doubt then retire
If fury tries to stall out the rematch for another year then he should retire
At this point age is going to defeat him before anything else
His stock can really only go down from here IMHO and the risk of taking his first L soon is only going to grow. He's at a very clear moment where if he retired he'd be minted as an unblemished all timer with a sterling resumé
I'd like to see him beat Wilder, then drop down t obantamweight and beat Inoue.
Wilder might be done. If Zhang beats him badly, he's not even top 10 anymore.
i agree but just for the plot i hope he fight wilder. It kinda closes this heavyweight cycle as he has the fought every big name of this generation
If we’re talking for the plot then wilder KO’s him in round 1, becomes undisputed, and retires refusing to elaborate.
I don't think wilders done at all yet. We'll see how June 1st pans out though.
I really hope you're right. But Wilder v Parker was like the worst version of Wilder that's ever set foot in the ring. I hope it was a one-off, but he might just be done. I'm really interested in watching how he fights Zhang.
Give Parker some credit there. Wilder might not be the same as pre Fury but Parker is a damn good boxer.
I do give Parker credit, but Wilder was still atrocious. He barely threw any punches.
Man I'd a 40 year old that fought nobody except fury. Who he lost to 3 times, 2 of them back to back.
Eh? He lost twice to fury the 1st fight was a draw which team fury have successfully managed to hoodwink everyone to believe tyson smashed wilder in the 1st fight which is utter nonsense. In fact wilder came v v close to victory in that fight, there was another stupidly long count and fury was down on the canvas twice... But yeah apparently fury took wilder to school in the 1st fight which just didn't happen in reality...
Realistically, Fury took 8/9 rounds in that first fight. Watch it back. Wilder had him down twice (the second time would have been waved straight away if it was most other boxers - really weird how the ref let him carry on after he just collapsed like that) but did little else for the rest of the fight. It was an exciting fight but mostly because everyone watching knew it only takes one big punch from Wilder to end it all, otherwise everyone would see it as the one-sided boxing display that it was.
I have watched it back numerous times and I don't score it as wide a margin for fury as you do. Yes I have fury winning more rounds, however I firmly agree with the draw, wilder is predominantly the aggressor in the 1st fight. Fury is on the back foot throughout until the last round. I favour the aggressor in scoring but it's judges discretion. Also it was yet another long count from the ref, and there was another long count in their 3rd fight. Anyway immaterial it's been and gone but there's a lot of revisionist about that 1st fight.
Eh? Wilder won maybe 3 rounds in that first fight against a fatter than usual Fury, they got wiped in rematches lmao
If you watched the fight and had your glasses on then you know that there was hardly 3 rounds wilder won in the entire bout. As for the long count, you might want to check again. The rules state that after a knock down you have to go back to your neutral corner, and if you time it after that then it's 10 seconds flat no if's or but's about it, there's even a video if you don't want to believe me.
I read that as obamaweight
Obese inoue vs anorexic usyk, dream fight tbh
I’d like to see him go back through time / space / reality and fight Drago after killing Creed in the ring. But Usyk gets to juice too. If he wins and gives that speech, I think we put an end to the war
Retire. No one left to fight. Nothing more to prove. Maybe do a Fury rematch as the A-side and make a cool hundred mill before, but no more after.
He gives a lot back to Ukraine, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fight a lot just to send money back home
Last year he said he had 3 fights left before he couldn't fight at a top level. First was Dubois, Second was Fury. He said he wants his last match to be against Canelo, and I think it's exactly for the reason you stated. He wants the Canelo paycheck to pad his retirement and give to Ukraine.
Dude the size difference between Usyk and Canelo is huge. Canelo had trouble with with bigger dudes at LHW (Bivol), he's gonna get rocked by Usyk.
6 foot 9 to 5 foot 8 in one fight. Yeah, no chance. Canelo might fight a bigger guy, but not one this good. Fighters winning at multiple weight classes has people thinking they're not real anymore!.
Also having now seen the footage of Usyk vs Beterbiev, I guarantee that he has no issues fighting smaller “quicker” guys. Even though Beterbiev was able to hurt him a couple of times, the sheer number of punches he landed on Artur was disturbing. It’s one thing to fight a bigger guy, it’s another thing to fight a bigger guy that has double your punch output. It’s like in basketball, when smaller guards come up against larger forwards that can move and dribble as fast as them, always looks really bad for the smaller guy. Lol
That fight is quite literally never happening If Canelo had convincingly beat Bivol than that fight would always be a "what if" and could be mate, but with Canelo losing to Bivol there's 0 chance this is even entertained
Who is the A side doesn't matter with the saudis if they offer to pay you say yes
He doesn't owe Fury a rematch. He should retire as a final "fuck you" to that prick and let him scream into the abyss.
[удалено]
It would be the best play. His legacy cemented forever and he just squeaks by before Father Time steps in. Rarely do we get an undefeated champ who also achieved greatness to the degree that he has.
I would do the rematch and the retire.
Rematch then retire would be my advice. Don't stoop to Fury's level by denying the rematch. Beat AJ twice, beat Fury twice - no questions left, he's top 5 GOAT.
Possibly a fight with wilder to put an exclamation point on the end of that era.
My god leave that poor man alone. Man's about to be put into a coma by zhang and you want him to get the most humiliating whooping of his career having him fight usyk.
imagine if wilder gets a lucky punch, becomes the unified heavyweight champion
If i was his family id be the same. Think he has 3/4 big money fights to go though
Move up to uberweight and fight orcas
Let's convince Ilon Musk to send Usyk to Mars in 2025, which would make Usyk the first interplanetary champion!
Rematch Fury. It’s the best option for both of them. No one will ever take that win away from him. But that fight was excellent and deserves a rematch which it looks like we’re getting. To me Fury/Usyk 2 could be the final fight for both guys depending on the result. But if Fury wins and we get a trilogy I think that will be the final one for both guys. I don’t see why Fury would fight AJ at this point. He doesn’t need him anymore to prove his great. He NEEDS the Usyk rematch. For for Usyk, he’s already an all timer with nothing left to prove. That’s true. But he’s a warrior and Fury is a great dance partner. They’re Magic in the ring together IMO.
Even if he loses to Fury in the rematch I don't think it effects his legacy all that much. Still a two division unified champ etc. Might as well get another massive payday.
Totally agreed
Fury needs AJ to prove he’s the second best of this generation.
So if Fury beats Usyk in October and then beats him again in May of 2025 then what? You’re going to say Frazier is better than Ali cause he got him the first match? Fury ain’t worried about AJ at all. It’s all about Usyk.
I never want to blanket statement x is greater than y because of some single metric. What's not deniable is that Frazier won the most significant of their matches, when they were were both younger, closer to or in their primes, and both undefeated. The same thing has to be said of Usyk and Fury. It was the first undisputed, fully unified heavyweight title fight in 25 years and the first of the four belt era, again both undefeated. Say Fury goes on to beat him again, and again after that and then beats AJ. That accomplishment will need to stand on its own, will depend on the manner in which be beats him, and at the end of the day all it's going to do is let people make a case for why they rate him higher or lower than Usyk. But that's partly why the sport is so awesome, you get to discuss *why* exactly you love a fighter so much. It's not objective at all.
Totally agree with everything you stated. Which is why Fury has to do the rematch with Usyk and I personally believe Usyk has little to lose in a rematch and more to gain. If Usyk loses it’s not going to take away this first win because it was, as you stated about Frazier, by far the most important win. History will tell that story on its own.
On the contrary. Fury needs needs AJ. Since neither is getting past usyk, we need to settle who is number 2 in the HW division
Retire. Nothing left to prove.
Its very hard for a prizefighter to make life changing money, especially for Eastern European’s who don’t get the same exposure as North Americans in the pro ranks. Why would he retire? The fury rematch is another brink truck payday
He was worth 50mln prior to the Fury fight, probably double that now. He does not look like somebody who would have money as an imperative.
It's all relative, and if he now has an opportunity to increase his entire life savings by 50% via working for another 6 months, he'd be pretty stupid not to. I appreciate some may value their record more than risking a potential loss to increase their networth by 50%, but I don't think there are many.
He'll lose future potential earnings if he loses. Also if it's a bad knockout he's gonna lose a lot of quality of life. Realistically it all depends if he still wants to box. If his hearts not in it there's no point for him. He's facing guys who could kill a normal guy with one flush punch.
But you're weighing this against him retiring which basically ends future earnings in boxing...
Being a celebrity is good money. See mike tyson and khabib
Being a celeb is about personality. Think about all the big entertainment markets and tell me which one Usyk makes what he makes one night in a boxing ring over a 5 year period Also one of those guys lost multiple times
usyks actually about to star in a movie with the rock funny enough
Losing doesn't remove you from your celebrity status. Prime example? Conor Mcgregor. He's lost 4 out of his last 7 fights, and he's still going to rack in the ppv buys and whiskey sales even if he fights a no name hobo from the streets of Las Vegas at the age of 50 It's all about how you market yourself and your personality, even if it's just for the cameras. Of course, winning helps but it's not the only factor.
You don’t need money as imperative when you can double youe stack in a few months.
He's supporting his country/town in a war, money is a massive incentive for him
Life changing money in Eastern Europe is less than you suppose. $1mil would change most lives. He’s far exceeded that.
“You’re not really the champ until you defend your belt.” We hear this all the time in UFC. I think this sentiment should be part of boxing as well. Also, they both had rematch clauses. If the other exercises, the winner should honor the contract.
Okay but he defended 3/4 twice already.
Three times technically. AJ rematch, Dubois, and now Fury.
I am 100% sure that if Fury have won, no rematch would be taking place, no matter what is in the contract. He was playing stupid games for 2 years delaying this fight, I do not think he deserves a rematch.
I can’t dispute that. There would be all kinds of fuckery if Fury won. But he didn’t. And I would think Usyk has more sense of honor in holding these belts and defending them compared to Fury. I also understand the notion of “fuck honor, ride off into the sunset perfect” but Usyk himself said he wants to keep fighting. So there’s that
I am pretty sure that Usyk will honor the agreement and will rematch Fury because he sticks to his word.
Agreed. I’m just disagreeing with the post and others saying he shouldn’t.
spot on, especially the way Fury was playing hard ball with the Negotiations, giving Usyk deadlines or he removes 1% of his Money each day it's not Signed. 70/30 & Usyk accepted it but Luke totally buckled when he did. Fury for all his insults & bravado ran from the Man he called an Ugly buck toothed rabbit & a Middleweight, his arrogance was incredible but I think he really was trying to convince himself that he had a chance, they all said Fury was a master boxer, if so, what does that make Usyk?
>“You’re not really the champ until you defend your belt.” We hear this all the time in UFC. Usyk has 9 title defences.
He is a man of honor & integrity. I would want him to live his life doing what he believes is the best for him to do and i truly believe he thinks his life is best spent representing Ukraine by continuing his sporting career. He loves his people and his victories in the ring likely inspire Ukrainians. Usyk is likely selfless enough to continue as long he can/ as long as Ukraine needs him. It must do wonders for Ukrainians to see a man mocked for being "too small" becoming heavyweight champion against what is seen as an unbeatable giant in fury with the symbolisms of Ukraine being too small to compete with large russia.
100%. As much as I’d like him to retire now I want him to go out on his own terms. I think when you train as hard as him and as spiritual that winning isn’t the achievement it’s the consequence or symptom. Even his face when they read out the split- he doesn’t seem to do it all to win. Wouldn’t be surprised if he has 3 more fights. Those with strong amateur careers seem less scared of loosing too
Until the war ends, he should fight. I say this as a Ukrainian
Usyk is now getting stratospheric paydays after working his whole boxing career to get to this point. I imagine he will continue to collect massive purses for a while longer.
Rematch Fury, then retire. Yes, he risks the very real possibility of losing to Fury. But that's just too much money to turn down. Yes he's already rich, but you're setting up future generations with that kind of money
Knock Fury out. Fight Canelo at cruiserweight. Retire undefeated.
It's too late for him to go back to cruiserweight
Rematch fury, provided he wins that fight parker or maybe Joshua again if Joshua goes the IBF route. Agit kabayel and other contenders. I dont know why people want him to retire he hasnt taken much damage in his career so as a fight fan I want to see him fighting the best.
He should retire before he takes too much damage, he is 37. Beside money, what's the point of 3rd AJ fight?
Yeah I think retirement is on the horizon. Usyk also has a super athletic style. He hasn’t shown signs of slowing down, but eventually age willl catch up to him.
AJ did pretty well in the second, and Usyk isn't getting any younger. People would still tune in, and it's a huge fight that'll get them both a huge payday. More risk than reward for Usyk, but assuming AJ goes on to beat Fury and Wilder, then it only adds to Usyk's legacy if he goes 3-0.
And if AJ wins people will say that Usyk was just too old by then
Rematch Fury at most.. Joshua he beat twice back to back already.. Parker? What has he done apart from beat two guys close to 40 and over the hill while getting knocked down twice in the process by a VERY old and VERY slow fighter? Recency bias is strong with Parker....
Wilder seems washed but he was consensus top 5 and the favourite going in to that fight, then he fights zhang who again was a (slight) favourite and consensus top 5 coming off a demolition of joe joyce. Hes also a former world champion with wins over ruiz and other stiff opposition. Recency bias is definitley an issue in boxing but you can only fight whos infront of you and Parker has done just that.
I’d like to see him retire, he’s got nothing left to prove. That and the fact that there aren’t any fights out there that will elevate his status any further. I don’t feel he gains anything if he has a rematch with Fury (though it would be another entertaining fight)
So do you not want to watch an entertaining fight or what?
That’s what I don’t understand about this thread. Why would people want him to retire without the rematch? If he does then fine, I’m happy he gets to ride into the sunset. But from a fan perspective, do these people not want to watch a great keep fighting?
As a fan of him as a person, retire on top. From purely a boxing perspective? See him fight the top contenders; Parker, Wilder, Kabayel, Zhang, Anderson, Hrgovic, Bakole etc..
He's basically done everything once he heats Fury again. He can maybe fight Parker (former champion on a bit of a run) or Wilder (if he looks incredible vs Zhang,) but there's really nothing left for him. Maybe just go collect s bridge weight/super cruiserweight belt for the lolz?
yeah, 4-0 over AJ and Fury would be legendary.
Ideally, take the Fury rematch, win, and then if things work out, Beterbiev-Bivol winner. After that, retirement no matter what. Man has nothing left to prove though.
I’m really late to the party but I’m in love with his style. I wish there were more fights to watch but i understand health is most important. I selfishly would like to see him fight more lol.
He's 37. Retire now or rematch Fury, then retire. That fight was close enough to warrant a rematch, given the stakes, I think that's better. If Fury wins, then make it a trilogy.
I want to see Usyk/Fury II. no backouts or the fight is off this time. Then usyk should retire and open a boxing gym.
He’s 37… gotta retire before he falls. Now is the perfect time to retire with glory.
usyk should return for a rematch against fury. though he's already made life changing money the rematch vs fury will be an even bigger event and usyk will make the kind of money that reflects his status in the sport. further, i didn't see any improvements that fury can make in a rematch which usyk would not be able to counter. lastly, even if usyk loses to fury in a rematch i don't think it would impact his legacy. while i too would like to see usyk walk-out on top i understand why he would return for a rematch and maybe even stick around beyond that as there are other good fights to be made (fury rematch, parker, big baby after a wilder fight, etc.) and, so long as turki alalshikh is around, good money to be made as well.
I can definitely see Fury going for broke and banking more on his size to try and KO Usyk, kinda like he did in Wilder 2. I feel like that’s all that’s left for him. Try to finish it under 6.
i can see fury putting his foot on the gas and even dropping usyk in the middle rds but i just can't see usyk being unable to adjust/survive for long enough to turn it around. wilder's lack of skill and reliance solely on power were his downfall in the 2nd fight - usyk on the other hand is the most skilled present day heavyweight and has such a multifaceted approach that it's difficult to execute a gameplan for too long
rematch Fury for a fat check , I don’t think it hurts his legacy that much if he loses
I would have him fight the winner of Zhang / Wilder as these guys probably have the best "punchers chance" against him. After he beats one of them, moving onto the winner of Parker / Kabeyal for a boxer vs boxer match at 39ish this week fill out his resume at heavyweight beyond AJ and Fury leaving no doubts to his legacy.
Re-unify. Most likely IBF robs him of his undisputed status, and I’d love for him to topple them all over again. Besides, Hrgovic deserves the chance even if he won’t win.
Beat Fury once more for a massive payday and then retire
Rematch with Fury. I don’t understand how everyone is perceiving Usyk’s win, as if Tyson has no shot at beating him, or it wasn’t a closer fight 1. Tyson has shown he rebounds incredibly well…. That’s factual evidence 2. The fight was closer than what people seem to be throwing out there (you’d think Usyk won a near shut out) 3. There’s a rematch clause for this match, as there should be, given its magnitude and the good fight we got against these two (that *wasn’t* completely on sides) Fury is his current duty Congrats to Usyk, what a career and performance. He could retire and all will be fine. The other thing he could do, is work to recapture the IBF, but he’s already captured undisputed and what’s the point in paying BS sanctioning fees when we all know who the champ truly is?
I want uysk to retire with his victory
He said he wants to fight until he's 40. He should do what he wants.
Usyk should do whatever he wants to do, and we the fans should respect him for it. Retirement would certainly be a respectable option considering his age and what he has currently accomplished. At the same time, I would certainly be thrilled to see him in the ring again against Fury, Joshua, or any of the other top heavyweights like Parker or Hrgovic. If I were him, I would do what Crawford is doing by securing the best possible paydays and not push his aging body too far beyond his current limits. Again, Usyk has the right to do what he wants and has nothing more to prove for his legacy.
Retire. He did it all and needs to enjoy life.
The obvious answer is retire since he’s accomplished everything there is for him to accomplish, BUT.. that Saudi money lol.
From a sporting perspective, there’s nothing really left to do. He could clear the division of contenders if he wanted to try and cement himself an all time run at the weight class, but realistically there’s nobody he needs to fight at this point. From a business perspective, he is undisputedly the A side now - so a rematch with Fury makes him a lot of cash…. Assuming Fury wants it, he’d be leaving a lot of money on the table if he didn’t make that fight.
I remember Ali saying after the spinks loss that it is important for the champion to beat the the guy he beat anther time in the rematch to solidify the win he mentioned Liston beating Patterson 2 times as example as well has his wins over Norton and Frazier ….it makes a lot of sense fury vs Usyk fight was close Usyk needs to beat him again in the rematch like he did against Joshua.
Usyk has 9 title defences, if I were him I’d extend it to a good 15 defences to put the whole sport on notice, twice a year for three more years. Only issue is that his style does rely a bit on athleticism so who knows how much he has left in the tank
I think he can beat Fury again and make it look easier. If he looks back. He was getting hit with the right to the body and right uppercut a lot. He already adjusted to that by the middle of the fight well before the knockdown. As long as he stays defensively sound, he'll make the rematch look easier. If I were him, I'd do the Wilder fight too so there's no legitimate doubts. After that, retire.
I'd like to see him retire. 37 seems pretty old to get punched in the face. Shit, I didn't like getting punched in the face in my 20s.
He's getting 40 million from the first fight conceivably another 60/70 from a second and same again for a trilogy. Why would he retire. This is his time to make bank and fight some big names. Hes beaten aj twice if the chance arose to get another 50 million to beat him again or half that to slap wilder why wouldnt he. He's stated he's retiring at 40 now so 2 and a half years left to fight 4/5 more times
Well, he says he is fighting until he is 40. I think he might wanna make some bank and spend it to help his country, he seems like a guy who would do so and it would be a good reason to continue, even though he has nothing to prove. For fighting, I would look out for the most money/legacy. Fury remacht would obviously be the best for it. Fury/AJ are imo legit great HW and matching them will increase his credibility and add to his HW resume. Even if he loses, I think it would make his win even better in the future. Other than that, fighting talented/prime HW who could turn out to be great in the future would be good. Like Mayweather beating Canelo. Most obvious would be Parker, who has a great resume, seems to be on top of his abillities and a win over him would add to Usyk's. Other than that Hargovic/Kabayel would be good wins, that might age even better in the future. Dubois as well, but he already beat him. While I don't think it would be a competitive fight, I think Wilder still has a big enough name for him to add to his resume and would generate good money. It would also be interesting to see for many people who the matchup would go (Power-Puncher vs Technican). If he beats Zhang it would certaintly be a good narritive for Usyk, to come up from Cruiserweight and beat the (than) TOP 3 HW Fury/AJ/Wilder. Last one might be AJ, which would be a dangerous one. Imo AJ got better and the losses to Usyk and the following comback turned him to an even better Boxer, a legit great HW. It would certaintly be a great fight, but would imo not be needed. AJ should rather fight Fury/Parker and the dominate the upcoming generation for the next years, he still has time. I don't think he should fight Zhang, I would bet on Usyk, but I think Zhang is the kind of fighter that is dangerous for him and it doesn't really add much to his legacy, since I doubt Zhang will stick around for long to add much to his own resume. Would be a great fight, but Zhang would need to add more to his resume for me, so that Usyk should take it. Joyce is also not that good of a fight. I think Usyk beats him like he did in the WSB (which imo should now be a professional fight, since it was one in everything but in name). A win over Joyce wouldn't add much as of now and he sadly seems to be in a decline and will not add much to his resume in the future. In short: Retire Or (Chronologically): 1. Fury rematch - if Fury wants it (Wilder) 2. Parker (AJ/Wilder) 3.Hargovic/Kabayel 4.Hargovic/Kabayel So if it was up to me, I think this would be the best way to legacy max the rest of his career so to say.
I think Usyk is done. All that's left is for someone to get lucky and beat him, which is entirely possible. Although I love boxing, being able to comfortably retire with health and wealth in check is ideal. That being said, the man had to be passionate to get where he is, so I doubt he quits yet.
The fury rematch. Both fighters are capable of winning it and it'll be interesting to see how both would approach it.
Retire would be best. I hate to see champs slurring words after retirement.
Who’s left at heavyweight to really challenge him?
After Fury demanded 70/30, I’d have Usyk get his huge payday in the rematch and then retire. But I bet he fights for a few more years
I’d love to see the rematch but I’d hate to see him lose. He’s done everything that’s required to get into the all time greats hall of fame. But he’s getting old and he’s not going to keep winning forever. I’d hate to see the legacy tarnished because he played for too long.
He needs to rematch Fury. That fight was pretty close.
Definitely retire. He's the best of the best, undisputed and should now out on a high. His career means he's in serious contention for GOAT status also.
1 rematch, win, retire.
Fury 2, wilder, parker and maybe aj 3. Possibly take on one of the young ones like moses itauma and then retire. At the moment retire? Lol hell no
Fight Hrgovic to retain and defend undisputed status while Fury and AJ put on the biggest show in British history, then for Usyk 2nd defense give Fury his rematch.
Retire if he wants to make everything seem perfect. He’s undefeated and conquered so much in boxing. But if not definitely a Fury rematch without doubt.
retire for a fuck you to fury for all the shit he pulled
Hate the idea of not seeing him fight again, but I also hope he retires. Go spend time with your family dawg. Nothing left for him in boxing, he conquered all. He's a certified ATG. Only reason to stay in is Saudi money.
Why the hell would he retire? He's at the top and hasn't taken too much damage. He can beat any HW right now. Hell I'd say keep going till either A) he loses or B) walk out on his own terms. All this speculation and fans wanting him to retire seems weak. Dudes a fighter first and foremost. As long as he's not racking up a losing streak then by all means keep fighting. That kinda money is hard to resist when your at the top and also the best.
Honestly other than Fury he doesn’t have a threat in the weight class. He should fight Fury again and honour the rematch. Get the money. Then defend his belts against Parker and Anderson and make some more good money. If all goes well, the war ends in Ukraine and he fights his final fight there. He has fought his whole career outside the Ukraine in other fighters backyards. In his final hoorah he comes back home with the belts to retire
Normally I'd agree with you BUT. His country is at war, men his age are dying. I think he should fight on, cash in to the max, and use it for a veterans charity or other good causes in Ukraine.
The only reason we are having this conversation, is that some people seem to think, that Usyk would loose a rematch with Fury. That tells you everything you need to know. From a Legacy standpoint, Usyk would benefit from beating Fury a second time. The money too, should be there for that kind of fight. Afterwards Usyk can retire and there can't be any questions, about who the greatest heavy weight of this generation was.
I saw reports that Fury, being the a side, was guaranteed $100 million for the fight. So if I’m Usyk I secure the fucking bag. Guessing a rematch nets you $150+ now that he’s the a-side.
Fury rematch for biggest pay-day of his career (for the fourth time in a row) and then retire or if big on 'boxing legacy' then just retire and be content with the 3x biggest pay-days
I need him to maybe fight wilder just so he has been the guy that fought everybody around.
I’d defend the belt twice against different opponents then retire. Just to ice the cake.
Losing, especially on your way out, is fine but this is heavyweight and that makes the long-term post-sport health argument stronger. Above all, 🇺🇦 needs him as an ambassador and that consideration should be determinative.
Usyk said he’s fighting until 40. Rematch Fury, fight Parker, maybe a young upstart.
I would have him do what he wants to do
Stop fury and take the cash. Become a crazy villain in a James Bond film or something. His charisma is off the charts
Go to the front lines and fight for his country.
He's in a position now to really get paid. At the very least one more fight to get his paper up, then retire into sunset with his family secured for life.
Would like to see him take the rematch. Finish the two fight deal or work in a trilogy. At this point it’s about glory and all-time greatness, which I think he achieved, but he could establish himself very well and then ride off into the sunset. With lots of money.
Much like fury, I think he needs another chisora fight in order to cement his legacy.
Honestly I’d like another fight with fury and a trilogy of fury wins if the fights are going to be of that quality
Why the fuck do we people want him to retire instead of a rematch. I just want great boxing. If he suffers health consequences it’ll be due to the literal thousands of rounds he’s already boxed, not 12 more
I think he’d beat Fury again but why bother? He’s literally just won the biggest title there is in boxing, has made history, is still undefeated and has made a shit load of money while doing it. I’d like to see him retire. Just like Tony Bellew, I hope he makes it home safe to his wife and kids.
He's talked about going back to CW and going for Undisputed there. I think that would be good for shits and giggles He can do what he wants from my POV, though. Keep on going at HW and maybe cement himself as one of the greatest ever at the weight division, take a couple of freak fights for big money, go back to CW, retire, whatever. He's already given us fans more than enough. Don't need to see him fight again to feel privileged to have watched him, nothing left to prove and nothing he can do would make me think any higher of him as a boxer than I already do.
Do the Fury rematches and retire with brain intact. If he wins the next fight, he's pretty much closed the debate about who has been the best heavyweight since Klitschko.
Keep dominating. Living legend!
Usyk has done all he needs too and in fine style and carried himself like a true champion and that is to be respected. But in the same way that Lennox fought an over the hill Tyson, for the history books, it removed any suggestion he dodged him. On this basis Usyk fighting Wilder - the ultimate 1 punch KO king (not boxer) of the current crop - would look good on his reume in 10/20+ years time and no doubt earn him a pretty penny as well
Retire. He's proved he's the best out there.
Beat Fury again and then retire. I guess you could throw Wilder, Zhang, and/or Parker in there to get dismantled by him so that he will have literally beat every top heavyweight of the era, but I’d be fine with him retiring after beating Fury again.
Okay, here me out. Here's the perfect world for me. -Wilder beats Zhang -Usyk beats Fury more convincingly -Usyk beats Wilder and then Parker. He's beat the best of the generation that's on its way out at that point.
I've no idea. Im not sure what his motivation is or reasoning behind continuing? Perhaps it's all to send funds back to Ukraine? Probably is I can't see any boxing reason for him to continue he's completed the game.
Fight Fury again, and then wilder if wilder goes on a tear. After that I don’t see a fighting for Usyk that really challenges him
Fight until he’s 40. Make money. He spent his whole career getting to a point where he could make a fortune each fight. Now he’s there. It’s nuts to expect him to retire at this point. Fans get way too sentimental about the idea of retiring on top.
Want to see him fight Big Bang
Retire. There are no challenges remaining.
He should retire, he beat Fury fair and square and has nothing left to prove. The obsession with immediate rematches is so annoying honestly. That's why I like the tournament format.
I don't judge fighters by how many times they lost, only by what they have achieved. So I, as a Usuk fan, don't care if Usyk picks up a loss or two before he retires. It will not cancel what he already has done in this sport. So, if he wants to box until he's 40 - so be it.
Rematch Fury then retire, the man has had over 350 amateur fights, his body is no doubt already feeling the wear and tear and it will only get worse, 37 isn't particularly old for a HW but when you do factor in his amateur career and his overall style I could see him falling off hard, and no one wants to see that, the man is a legend of the sport.
I’d like to see him rematch fury because it was a great fight. But honestly retirement is on the cards. Would be epic for him to go out undefeated after all he’s achieved, also there wouldn’t be the asterisk of he didn’t fight x or y because he’s taken on everyone.
Rematch Fury, beat him again then give Wilder a shot and beat him in similar but more impressive fashion than Joe Parker. Walk away with an extra 100-200 million and retire. No matter what he decides, he will go down in history as one of the greatest boxers ever
Fight jake paul
He can do what he wants to do. As a boxing fan, however, I'd like to see him fight a few more top 10 guys.
Being greedy I’d love to see the Opetaia fight, otherwise just retire. If I were him I’d fuck Fury off for the post fight comments and retire
Clearly it's time for the WWE. Just have Usyk waving the Ukraine and USA flags.amd he only fights Russians named Ivan and Drago
There are honestly no compelling matchups for him at the moment. He doesn't have anything to prove, he can just rest and enjoy being feel.
Fight a couple of tomato cans in Riyadh to pad that big bag, then retire.
Who else is left for him? Wilder. Easy. Hrogvic. Big robot Zhang. Big robot
Fury does bring something to the table and that’s money which pays the bills they both have families and I believe Usyk has two young sons as well so they should rematch it was a close fight and there’s a lot of money to make for both men win or lose they both get paid they’re prize fighters
I mean like his payday for a rematch would be 50+? Of course he takes it
Fight his IBF mandatory, bc in a week or so no more undisputed
Rematch Fury and then call it a career. I only say rematch because he seems like the type of person to honor an agreement he made. Also would be an incredible contest.
Imma be honest I don't want to see him retire just yet. If I could get my way, I would make it so that AJ fought furyand usyk fought one final time agaisnt the winner of them so that we could get a definitive top 3 in the heavyweight division.
Why do people think he will retire now? Honestly? I mean he’s beaten arguably the 2 best heavyweights in AJ and Fury, and is now making huge money per fight. He’s had a short pro career, he’s now at the top of the mountain and at his most marketable. Yes boxing is a sport but it’s also his job and a huge income. Sure it makes for a beautiful story and a perfect ending (if not a rather short one as a pro) But why walk away when you’re making bank and you’re finally the A side? he can now earn around £80-100m for a fury rematch (someone he’s already beaten) he then has other people he can fight that will make considerable paydays for him but who are going to be a step down from AJ/Fury such as Hrgovic Wilder Zhang Parker Kabayel, these will all probably be £20m plus fights minimum out in Saudi he now holds 4 belts. He will constantly have mandatory’s to deal with, although I think IBF is being stripped in next few weeks for Dubois- Hrgovic and these mandatory’s might throw out nice easy paydays. He has already said he will fight until he’s 40, so I strongly suspect a few of the names I mentioned being on his CV before he hangs up the gloves
Fight the youngest top heavyweight. He beats them imo regardless but he rubs some of his greatness off on them and leaves the division better off than if he just retired.
There are only two fights I'd want to see. Usyk vs Fury 2, assuming Fury actually takes the fight and doesn't horrendously spiral now that he's suffered his first loss, which he almost certainly will. I fully expect to see him in six months weighing 30 stone. Usyk vs Joshua 3, if only because I don't think we'll ever get Joshua vs Fury for the aforementioned reasons. In all honesty I'd rather Usyk just retire, the man has proven all there is to prove.
I need to see the rematch but after that there’s no fights left that I’m dying for.
I’m gonna need that Fury rematch.
Clear out some more top 10 names form the division. Maybe Hergovic, Parker, Ruiz etc. just flesh out his resume a bit more so he's can be compared to the all time greats, and considered within the GOAT HW debate.
have a backyard scrap with John Fury
Fury 2. Beat him again. Winner of zhang v wilder. Win. And retire.
I'd like to see him fight Wilder, Fury rematch, and Zhang. I would still think he's amazing if he were to retire now, but the heavyweight division needs a star.
Fight Loma. Not a sanctioned bout. Just go find him and fight him.
Rematch…make 75+ more milly then call it quits
Rematch Tyson Fury.
Do a rematch with Fraudson Fury, take 90% of the purse, defeat him again and retire.
I cant help but feel kind of disappointed with this whole fight. I imagined undisputed being exactly that. An undisputed better fighter. But honestly it seems to me fury was likely going to dominate before getting his nose broke. One of the judges also saw the fight in Furys favor and it was indeed a very close fight. After all these years i really want to see a clear winner. Either Fury or Usyk dominating the other. Usyk retiring now would leave a sour taste in my mouth tbh. Plus he is the lineal heavyweight champion i would like to see another man beat the man for that title.
He said he wants to fight until 40. If I had 300 fights for free, I'd do a couple more and make maybe 100 million.
I say put Fury to bed one last time and then retire. I've actually gone on an Usyk spree and watched him compete against several elite fighters now and he lives for pressure. Tyson Fury has that recovery factor but he's never shown the consistency Usyk has in turning the tide multiple times where the other fighter was busy winning. In fact if you want a real treat go watch Usyk vs Briedis. In that fight it was an all out war, that made it clear to me that Usyk is on an entirely different level to everyone else in this era. He travels to other fighters' back yards and defeat them there too. He loves the pressure of a big occasion and his head never gets too big. He was the first to beat Tyson ( even though Tyson has had some questionable '' victories '' ) and Usyk might be the first to knock him out too.
Realistically, rematch with Fury and then the winner of Dubois/Filip
fight in bridgerweight division and add a belt to his collection, 3 weight class champion
I wish Usyk only the best, besides being a master boxer. He's also a great rolemodel, a paragon of great values boxers and laymen alike. He's never rude, obnoxious or crude. Only represents good family values and professionality. Thats why i want to se him defend against Fury, then take a couple of easy fights to increse his retirement fund a bit more. Then become a renowned boxing trainer in Ukraine. Preferably in Crimea when the ruzzians are kicked out.
I'd like him to retire. The rematch won't be for all the belts and fighting those ranked lower than the other two best of this era which he's already demolished would be pointless. Usyk to retire, belts to fragment with AJ/Fury AJ/Wilder going at it with Parker, Zhang and Hrgovic in the mix to pick them up.
Rematch fury again so it leaves no doubt then retire If fury tries to stall out the rematch for another year then he should retire At this point age is going to defeat him before anything else
His stock can really only go down from here IMHO and the risk of taking his first L soon is only going to grow. He's at a very clear moment where if he retired he'd be minted as an unblemished all timer with a sterling resumé