Oleksandr Usyk is thinking about making big changes in his career after his tough fight with Rico Verhoeven.
Oleksandr Usyk’s advisor recently shared that the boxing star is seriously thinking about retiring after his big win over Rico Verhoeven.
In May, undefeated champ Usyk kept his perfect record and titles by beating kickboxing star Verhoeven in a special fight at the Pyramids of Giza. The fight wasn’t easy for Usyk; many fans thought Verhoeven might have been winning before Usyk knocked him out in the 11th round.
Verhoeven even tried to appeal the result after it was found the referee stopped the fight just after the round ended, but his appeal didn’t work. This has made many wonder what Usyk’s next move will be after such a huge event.
The obvious next fight could be against Daniel Dubois, who won the WBO heavyweight belt after Usyk gave it up earlier in May by beating Fabio Wardley in Manchester. But right now, Usyk is talking with Germany’s Agit Kabayel, who the WBC has named the mandatory challenger.
Usyk’s advisor, Sergey Lapin, said it’s also quite possible Usyk might just decide to retire, ending his career as one of boxing’s all-time greats. “Agit Kabayel is a great fighter and a respected champion. There’s nothing personal here, but big fights aren’t made just by social media or pressure,” Lapin told Snabbare.
He added, “Usyk has spent his whole career proving himself. Now it’s not about what he owes anyone but what kind of big event can be built. If the numbers and chances make sense for everyone, the fight can happen. If not, there are other paths and big chances too. When a fighter has done what Usyk has, every fight could be his last. Maybe fans have already seen him ring for the last time, or maybe there’s one more chapter. We’ll know soon.”
Lapin also said they will look at all options and decide by the end of the week. Some might think Lapin is just being strategic during talks about the Kabayel fight or another match, but at 39, it’s very possible Usyk could choose to step away.
As a two-time undisputed heavyweight champ and former cruiserweight champ with a perfect 25-0 record, Usyk really has nothing left to prove and is already a boxing legend.
If he does retire, people wonder what will happen to the three belts he holds (WBC, IBF, and WBA). The boxing organizations would have to find new champions. Kabayel, for example, might move up from interim to full WBC champ. The WBA could promote their “regular” champ Murat Gassiev. The IBF would likely have their top heavyweights fight for the vacant title.
Fighters like Kabayel, Dubois, Tyson Fury, Moses Itauma, and Filip Hrgović could all be in the mix if Usyk retires.