Next (maybe last?) for Usyk...

Was it actually considered a full professional bout though? Didn't think that happened with 8 2 min rounds.

Either way, I hope we never see that travesty of a fight

 

I couldn’t agree more.

Not a fan of soft touches ever and more so now - especially due to the current lack of frequency in fighting schedules, the greater time to prepare per fight and the enormous money already being earned per fight.

They are there to defend a title. Not sit on it. Like it or not, in many cases, a soft defence flatly equates to a more deserving fighter(s) missing out during the required time period involved (for the soft defence).

Once they climb to the top, what other sport grants its Champs such empowerment and arbitrary choice of challenger in any context?

OR, to put it another way, what other sport can rationalise its Champ defending against a challenger of much lesser threat while avoiding/stalling a fighter(s) much more deserving of the golden opportunity?

So, defining it further, a sport that actually rationalises a challenger who is bad enough to warrant a chance in contrast to a fighter who is actually too good (for his own good) to be afforded the same opportunity in the same time frame.

For an extreme example - we’re talking a sport that can allow for a Champion like Patterson to fight a debutant like Rademacher but avoid his two most pressing contenders in Folley and Machen.

Many rationalise the Rademacher defence for the big $$$ involved in relative to the perceived low risk - but is that actually rationale?

If one views it as acceptable rationale, then logically, it’s strongly arguable that they forfeit the right to ever complain about any perceptions of more deserving challenges being shut out. If one accepts that money trumps all - then you get what you get.

Not to ignore Usyk’s prep that lent to the complexion and outcome, but was the Dubois fight necessarily so taxing in and of itself?

It was also a fight that many felt wasn’t necessary/deserved or at least not in due deference to the true order of merit.

Was Dubois himself not the soft defence already? Lol.

 

This coming September will mark 4 years since a WBO champion defended against a WBO mandatory challenger. In that time, the champion has already made what can be classified as two voluntary defences.

It is surprising how lenient everyone is being with Usyk. People would be losing their damn minds if this was another champion (see Wilder).

 

If anyone deserves it, it's Parker...

Kabayel may or may not be a more interesting bout, but resumes simply aren't comparable.

Agreed.

And even if they weren't... He's beaten Fury and AJ convincingly twice each, and Wilder is a never-was rather than a has-been.

 

Usyk is getting special privileges but he just cleaned up Fury, aj and Dubois who were seen as top 3 and to top it all off he's 38 so he's earned a couple easy money fights before retiring undefeated, he'll reap the rewards of his hard work. He'll retire and the division will finally start flowing soon, won't be long now

 

I don't really see any parallel at all with Wilder...

I don't want Usyk in with soft touches either, but taking one soft touch after clearing out the legits is very different from avoiding all contenders fullstop.

There's only one really deserving option, and one other interesting one... Other than that, it almost doesn't matter.

Let's hope Parker gets his deserved shot, for me.

 

The issue with having this attitude is Usyk has been averaging 1 fight per year for the past 6 years. So say Usyk has 2 easy fights he would be 40 by that time so is that what you really want to see ?

It would be ok if Usyk was more active fighting 2 or 3 times a year that he could fit in an easy big money fight and then have the important legacy fight in the same year aswell.

But on average in the past 6 years Usyk has not been a very active champion so I'd rather not have Usyk wasting his legacy on rubbish fights.

I'd rather Usyk just retire if he's not fighting Parker and let the belts become vacant and the division can move on.

 

I,m afraid he will keep ( without defending them ) his belts as long as he can . How long this is depends if they can negotiate with WBO a further delay . At least it points in that direction .

 

Just read that Usyks team is contemplating Wilder as his next opponent. I hope that's not true.

 

Lapin specifically said they are not thinking about fighting him now, maybe along the way. So if there is "along the way", maybe Usyk has more than 1 fight left?

 

Usyk hasn't been one for soft touches so far... I can't see why he'd want to waste his time it..

It'd be asterisked anyway given Wilder's clearly declined now, plus I don't think it'd add that much in legacy terms (I don't think time will be kind to Wilder's reputation - rightly so, but I don't think he'll be remembered as anything like what he was hyped up to be and didn't prove).

Besides which... I can't imagine it brings much money anyway - Wilder was never a huge draw in his own right and he's not the kind of headliner to bring big buys now.

Plus - let's be honest, Wilder had a career defined by ducking until he'd lost thrice against Fury... If he's offered a fair payday for what he's worth now, he's unlikely to take it.

Sounds like a nothing rumour, to me.

 

Unlike Floyd's fight with McGregor.

 

It's on Tyson's official pro record for all time