Comments Thread For: Oleksandr Usyk To Return in Mid-May In U.S. As A Heavyweight

[SteveM]

Usyk is 31 or 32 years old but not fighting first 6 months of the year, basically, when his name was just hottest. These promoters seem to underrate both momentum, and the importance of age. Usyk probably has 2 to 4 good years left and they are only fighting him after 6-7 months instead of after 4, which is wasting 2-3 months for nothing. These promoters seem to take for granted that their fighter will be able to maintain prime form until age 35+ like Floyd did, then when their fighter can't do it like most 90% of fighters primes dont last until 35, they are left holding the bag while the career falls apart because the fights they should have made while their fighter was still elite they did not make until he was 35 years old, and by that point it's too late for him to perform at the level needed to have success in those fights and push his career to superstardom like would have happened had he gotten those wins in his prime.

Decent point except if every fighter fought 3 times a year the average money made per fight would go down as I don't believe there is enough public demand for loads more fights. Don't forget even an uneven contest runs the risk of a clash of heads or injury.

[Eff Pandas]

Curious who the first opponent will be. I was loving the idea of Usyk vs Parker, but last I heard Parker ain't want none of that. Can't blame Parker or anyone else doe. Its pretty lose lose for them in a sense. You lose you lose. You win & you beat a guy CW. Granted he's the baddest CW on the planet & a top P4P guy, but still from the opponents angle its doing lil for them even if they do win.

[chrisJS]

I'm asking them both to MAN UP! Usyk is the perfect opponent for Whyte, because the winner would be WBO #1, and mandatory for Joshua! If Whyte does not fight him, Usyk could just go to HW and instantly be Joshua's mandatory! Negotiating will be a little better as the mandatory!

Usyk will already be the #1 contender for WBO regardless per WBO rules. Any champion moving up automatically becomes their #1 contender like Crawford was for Horn.

[mawoodhouse]

What do you mean he didn't look amazing? He almost knocked his head off his shoulders and K.O. him in front of his home town.

He looked average at best, did not look like this SUPERSTAR that everyone makes him out to be, Bellew tied him up and shook him up a few times...even the judges had Bellew ahead at the time of the stoppage.

[Bronx2245]

Usyk will already be the #1 contender for WBO regardless per WBO rules. Any champion moving up automatically becomes their #1 contender like Crawford was for Horn.

I know that, but Hearn wanted to Usyk to fight the winner of Whyte vs. Chisora in the first place. Whyte, of course, wanted Joshua now! He doesn't like the terms. Therefore I'm saying Whyte should re-consider, fight Usyk now! If he wins, he's the mandatory, and then re-negotiate! Time is running out! He (Whyte) might find himself without either fight!

Whyte vs Chisora 2: Oleksandr Usyk could fight 'winner or loser' of bout

December 21, 2018:

Whyte and Chisora will settle their grudge on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with Usyk and Anthony Joshua among the interested spectators at ringside.

"Usyk could fight the winner or loser of [Whyte vs Chisora]," promoter Eddie Hearn said.

"No-one really knows how good Usyk truly will be at heavyweight. We know he will be good, but can he mix it with the big boys? That is the fascination."

[JakeTheBoxer]

I doubt he will fight in USA in his first hw fight. Didn`t they mention Whyte, Chisora, takam? All Euro fighters. Usyk will fight in Europe.

[kafkod]

He looked average at best, did not look like this SUPERSTAR that everyone makes him out to be, Bellew tied him up and shook him up a few times...even the judges had Bellew ahead at the time of the stoppage.

Usyk was never hurt or shaken up by Bellew. He was behind by one round and 2 rounds on 2 scorecards, the 3rd judge had it even. That means nothing in a 12 round fight.

Bellew didn't win another round after Usyk upped the pace in the 5th, and you could see the difference in levels between a world class fighter in Bellew, and an elite top 5 P4P talent in Usyk.

[nick_viking]

Could see it being Martin or even Andy Ruiz Jr maybe.

The Hunter rematch would be fantastic though, given his form at heavyweight.

[Offic.Scorecard]

Usyk is 31 or 32 years old but not fighting first 6 months of the year, basically, when his name was just hottest. These promoters seem to underrate both momentum, and the importance of age. Usyk probably has 2 to 4 good years left and they are only fighting him after 6-7 months instead of after 4, which is wasting 2-3 months for nothing. These promoters seem to take for granted that their fighter will be able to maintain prime form until age 35+ like Floyd did, then when their fighter can't do it like most 90% of fighters primes dont last until 35, they are left holding the bag while the career falls apart because the fights they should have made while their fighter was still elite they did not make until he was 35 years old, and by that point it's too late for him to perform at the level needed to have success in those fights and push his career to superstardom like would have happened had he gotten those wins in his prime.

You are reading my mind.

[BigZ44]

Rematch with Hunter maybe?