If Usyk fights on after Fury, he ought to abandon the paper IBF belt and fight Parker

Usyk isn’t fighting for much longer, win or lose to Fury. He’s fought once per year for the past 5 years, and the past 3 years were only because he had to:

- WBO mandatory challenger vs Joshua in 2021
- Contractually obligated rematch in 2022
- Had to defend against his WBA mandatory in 2023

Usyk is an extremely inactive boxer who only fights when he has to. We would be very lucky to see him fight anyone at all after 2024.

 

I think Usyk will fight the boxer who will bring him the maximum payday.

I don't think it's Parker, Hrgovic or Wilder.

I think it will be Joshua again. These are professional boxers, they fight for money. And Usyk is in the end of his career.

Why fight Parker or Hrgovic for $3M instead of fighting Joshua for $30M?

 

Your two answers are redundant, since Parker is a retread and a mediocrity, and i'll throw in also a nobody.. If that is his best option, time to quit watching.

 

I think once he knocks Fury out twice he'll ride off into the sunset with all his money.

 

I can easily see just one fight between those 2.

Saudi's step in and make a new fight after

 

Was it right now, I agree that Parker would be the natural contender for Usyk. But who knows how things will look next year.

Hrgovic is set to face Dubois and then hopefully Joshua, and if he beats them he's a worthy contender along with having the IBF belt. And if Joshua beats Hrgovic for the IBF belt, he's in a good position as well, although there's no great need for a third fight with Usyk. Of course, this will also depend on what Parker does in the meantime, so not much use to speculate now.

What I would like to see is the winner of Hrgovic-Dubois face Joshua and the winner of Wilder-Zhang face Parker, and then the winners of those fights facing off in a final eliminator. But you rarely get what you want when it comes to boxing.

 

Hrgovic is next after he batters Dubois.

 

If Usyk keeps fighting I can't imagine him fighting AJ again just to hold on to the IBF belt. Especially given how few HWs hes fought. But I think fighting the Hrgovic-Dubois winner is fine. Dubois fight is a rematch but with the foul controversy if Dubois beats Hrgovic thats the fight to make.

Parker isn't a bad opponent but I don't think Usyk needs to fight him. Parker beat Zhang but that fight did not inspire confidence.

 

But beating (respectively) Ngannou, Miller and De Mori inspires confidence?

 

Take a look at live videos from Kiev. There is no war there. Just at the "new borders". And Russia won't attack a boxing fight at olimpiski. Russia as evil as the western is trying to showcase it, is "normal" enough to never attack a sporting event, especially from a guy who's wife is Russian and he is from crimea

 

The Saudi's will have a big say in who Usyk fights next - if anyone.

 

Well it also kind of seems obvious that if you want to hold multiple belts, and reap the benefits of that, then you have to fight more regularly than he has been. For all Wilder's faults, he was an active champion. And whilst I put more of the blame on Fury, Usyk still delayed the fight with Dubois (beyond the injury), and has kept the IBF waiting.

Hrgovic has been IBF mandatory going on 18 months and counting. And even before that, Hrgovic was struggling to get an opponent for the final eliminator. You might even recall that the IBF actually dropped Parker for knocking back the Hrgovic fight (preferring the risk:reward of a Joyce fight---which he lost)

But your argument seems to be built on the assumption that Hrgovic loses his next fight, but what if he comes out on top? He would then be considered better competition than Parker as an undefeated Olympian from the next crop of heavy weights. Taking his O in that case will do a lot more for Usyk's legacy than being one of several to beat Parker. Heck even if he loses, the winner of Hrgovic-Dubois-Joshua would be the obvious number 1 challenger

Avoiding the IBF mandatory/champion won't be viewed the same as when Lewis did it

 

Even if Hrgovic wins and keeps that zero intact Parker is still a former World Champion with a better resume.

 

Wilder was shot when Parker beat him but somehow Wilder would add to Usyk´s prestige. I get what you mean but it´s funny that you would prefer a contender over someone you claimed is shot.
Fooken A.