Dubois defeats Wardley, and the winner is...USYK!

It is obvious after today's fight that a Wardley bout would have been a complete waste of time for Usyk. Usyk spent a lot of time in the amateurs ensuring he achieved a distinguished career, which has limited his opportunities in the professional ranks. However, he has achieved so much more than anyone could have expected, except for those wanting him to fail.

After all the boxing corruption with the likes of Floyd and Canelo, this achievement has been so many levels better than the marketed GOATs of recent times, relying on referees and every other trick in the book, including PEDs, to maintain their "record".

 

More of a waste of time than Rico?

 

Honestly, YDKSAB. Usyk clearly destroys Parker and Wardley, and almost certainly, he destroys Kabayel. Why? Because Kabayel cannot maintain the required stamina to be competitive.

 

Well unfortunately for all of us who don't just want to take your word on it, until Usyk actually gets into the ring with someone he either hasn't already beaten/a pointless exhibition we'll never know.

We had this stupid "well no point fighting xyz because he'd beat them" with Fury, it's just sad seeing people just accept it at face value for Usyk as well.

 

Yeah, you can't really fault anything he did up to and including Dubpis 2. Still hope to see him against Kabayel, though, but very understandable if he retires.

 

lol so is Usyk going to have to KO Dubois a third time now?

Dubois shouldn’t take the fight if Usyk offers it. No point. He’s a serious danger to everybody else, be happy with that.

god I wanted Wardley to win, but DDD impressed the hell out of me.

 

Usyk's track record at heavyweight has been stellar up until this bout against Verhoeven. I even felt he deserved a soft touch after so many tough bouts, but a soft touch doesn't mean a man with zero pro fights in the sport. For someone with an extremely limited time remaining in their career, i was disappointed in Usyk's choice of opponent later this month. After this fight, assuming he doesn't retire, he needs to fight Kabayel next, and not waste more time now on someone like Wilder or someone else off the scrap heap.

 

First and foremost, let’s be honest with ourselves: if Usyk turns down a fight, it’s certainly not because he’s afraid of any particular boxer or thinks he might lose.

It is simply the exhaustion of a man who has seen it all in boxing and has overcome every possible obstacle. He just doesn’t see a legitimate challenge in any of the current contenders. Dubois was his last meaningful challenge, primarily due to his team’s trash-talking and Usyk’s desire to prove that the low blow in their first fight didn't bring Dubois even a step closer to a fair boxing victory.

Naturally, a kickboxer doesn't serve as a motivator for him; Usyk doesn't view him as a real competitor. Other factors are likely at play here—perhaps financial incentives, perhaps a genuine respect for his achievements in kickboxing, or maybe other, less obvious reasons.

Many commenters here only follow the heavyweights, so they mistakenly believe Usyk came out of nowhere and hasn't achieved much. In reality, he has been in boxing for over 20 years. He became an Olympic champion 14 (!) years ago and has an immense amateur record—opponents have stepped into the ring against him over 350 times. He became the king of the two heaviest divisions, defeated all his main rivals in their own backyards, collected every single belt, and topped the P4P rankings... It’s hard to even imagine a new challenge for him.

And then someone like Kiwi Casual pops up, saying: "Usyk is ducking a fight with Parker/Wardley/Hrgovic/Kabayel/WHATEVER-HIS-NAME-IS!" They ask, "How can this be? He chose a kickboxer when he’s obligated to prove his worth against young contenders!"

I don't personally approve of Usyk’s choice for his next opponent. But I understand that, in truth, he doesn't care. To him, any of the aforementioned boxers are perceived much like Rico Verhoeven—someone to whom bookmakers wouldn't give even a 10% chance of winning. Unfortunately, Usyk has effectively "completed" the game called Boxing, and at this moment, the game has nothing left to offer him as a real challenge. Only time will eventually defeat him.

The most sensible thing for him would be to vacate the belts and simply do whatever he wants—expand his media presence, go into coaching, or do exhibition bouts. I’m certain he will be in demand in any capacity. Regardless, Usyk has already stated he will have no more than three fights before retiring. I suppose we’ll just have to sit through them as a tribute and a reward to Usyk for his legendary career.

 

He didn't though. As mandatory challenger he wasn't obligated to agree to a rematch clause with Joshua. Dubois was also not forced on him.

 

By that logic the same could hold true for 3rd or 4th wins as well. Usyk could just go in rematching the same guys

 

I honestly can’t stand whenever a big win is seen as something that “counts” for the guy that had beaten that fighter prior as if it’s a win to them by default. The whole “his resume just keeps looking better” mentality is annoying and just an excuse to big up their favorite fighter even though they weren’t the ones in that fight. The same was happening every time Canelo won where people were using his wins to credit Mayweather. Dubois was the one to beat Wardley and gets all the credit for that win, not Usyk.

 

Yeah but then AJ and Hearn threatened to vacate, leaving Uysk with a potentially small purse for his next fight

Context is key