Can we get ANY two guys to sign a decent heavyweight fight?

You forgot to add that everybody is waiting for the next Jake Paul fight, which will be taking place in a graveyard so that whichever stiff they resurrect can go right back to their dirtnap after he is done with them.

 

Yeah its what happens in divisions when you have an undisputed handing out paydays. It was same at super middleweight with Canelo, everyone just waiting for the Canelo fight.

Same here, except there is the added complexity of Usyk possibly retiring scattering the belts. No one wants to be stuck signed up for a pointless fight if a belt is going to come free. And every fight at heavyweight carries risk, even an easy one on paper.

Thats why people are saying Usyk needs to make a decision and doesn't have the luxury of a 3+ month holiday to even decide if he wants to do anything, because it ripples through the rest of the division.

 

Exactly! I'm already dreading the next undisputed fights in other divisions... Canelo is by far the worst I have seen, but it's also the system itself.
It's better with the smaller divisions where there is a chance of the champion moving up and vacating his titles. Also there is way less Money in the fights in general because people care less about smaller weights. So it is not as benefitial to wait for the one big fight or to keep the titles fighting bad opposition like canelo did at times.

The money in heavyweight makes everyone wait. And now turki has to shell out to get guys like opetaia their fight.

Opetaia in cruiser on the other hand is basically even worse. The avoid him without being undisputed just because it is so obvious they would lose against him...

 

All the decent HW's are waiting for Usyk it seems.

Pretty silly because its pretty obvious that Usyk will fight Parker next, and hopefully by the end of this year.

 

These fighters are all warriors who will fight anyone.
The only thing stopping them is the politics of boxing and also being scared of being KO'd by dangerous opponents they can't bully.

 

USA has a population of over 340,000,000 in 2025 and we don’t have even one great heavyweight, it really is bizarre.

 

For someone of my age, it's almost surreal.
When I started following boxing, the top heavyweights were exclusively American. At any given time, i'd say at least 17 or 18 of the world's top 20 heavyweights would be from the USA, and a deep stock of fringe and journeymen too.

 

Inb4 "its because of NBA and NFL" but yeah it is strange, with how many people and how much boxing infrastructure and money the US has it would be expected that they have more skilled heavyweights.

 

For me, asking for an extension is his decision, it indicates he wants the Parker fight.

 

I saw @MarkusFlorez99 already mentioned it in another thread. But purse bids were already concluded the other day for the IBF final eliminator between Ajagba and Sanchez. I'm thinking it should be a much more competitive fight than last time. I'm curious where it will be broadcast though as TR lost the purse bid.

 

blame NBA and NFL.

we have plenty of good smaller dudes. Why? They can’t play in the NBA and NFL.

 

Hmm, not sure Tyson and Holyfield would have made the cut

 

Theres Usyk, 3 interim champs and "Chisora the mandatory". None of whom have signed for their next fight.

No ones moving till those 4 do.

 

Lot's of top non-American boxers in the smaller weight divisions too - Beterbiev, Bivol, Inoue, Lopez, Janibek, etc.

It has more to do with professional boxing previously being predominantly an American sport, while nowadays it's more international.

Other countries have always done well in boxing at the Olympics, but most never turned pro until this century.