I don't get the feeling Usyk is going to fight again

The more time passes, the more justified your feeling seems. Usyk has lost confidence against Rico; at least that's how it looks to me. There's no need for Usyk to damage the image of his perfect career even more until the moment he gave up all his belts.

 

He appeared to be in a great mood at AJ-Prenga, and happily declared he is resting now.

So yeah, it could be he's tired of the game. We know that already in November last year he said he wanted a voluntary defense vs Wilder when Parker, Wardley and Kabayel were next in line.

I think he wants to get into coaching.

 

I agree.

 

Wouldn't surprise me but I think he does one more fight.

 

Bow out on a win, Usyk

 

At nearly 40 years old with 24 years of boxing at the highest level, it certainly looks like he is ready to move on. 335-15 as an amateur and 25 -0 as a pro with 15 world title fights. It's probably time to get out while still on top and healthy.

 

In one way I'm kind of glad to be honest because he wasn't active enough for a champion in recent years and not enough of the other contenders were getting title shots.

And I think the new generation of Heavyweights need to move on from the Usyk/Joshua/Fury/Wilder era.

If he wants another non championship fight for some filler on his resume against someone like Wilder it's up to him.

But now he's vacated the belts he can do what he likes honestly have 1 more farewell fight or retire.

 

Usyk has been talking about being tired of the drudge of training for a little while now - especially since his preps have all been spartan like prior to but not including the Verhoeven fight.

In a perfect world I don’t think he should’ve accepted a match against a cross over from kick boxing - particularly if it meant an actual pro boxing challenger missing out on their own , far more deserved, golden opportunity. Imo, better to opt out before that.

When Fury fought Ngannou, I recollect that Usyk said that Fury should’ve been fighting him instead adding that Fury was ducking him.

Usyk has def. been declining in some measure over the last several years.

However, to compensate, he has reinvented himself to some degree - becoming that little bit heavier, less mobile but better planted, punching with badder intentions.

That version of Usyk looked great against Dubois in fight 2 - perfectly suited to the opponent at hand.

Now, against Rico, Usyk in his own right did look that much slower and more sluggish with another 6 pounds on his already maxed out frame.

But, at the same time, Verhoeven didn’t present as the typical giant that Usyk has custom built himself to prevail over - not least for Verhoeven’s notable engine - there was no pronounced fade that Usyk was used to and relied upon in other much heavier opponents.

Ironically, Usyk poked his head into being exactly the type of guys he himself feasted upon - slower, more sluggish and stamina challenged.

Will he retire? I dunno. People questioned him rematching Dubois. I think Usyk won fight 1 fairly and simply enough but the surrounding controversy perhaps stuck in Olek’s craw. He def. took care of any overhang doubts in the rematch.

Would Usyk be similarly motivated to rematch Verhoeven for the same reasoning? - to settle any lingering doubts re that fight before he rides off into the sun?

Of course r there is still the possibility of a match vs Wilder, a win over whom would have Usyk having defeated all the big names of his era - quite a tempting proposition in itself, tbh.

 

It's alright, we've still got Rahman.

 

Hasbeen?

But his comeback fight has been permanently cancelled in just the last few days. No explanation has been given unless it has been and I somehow missed it.

I hope you can see what I’m trying to do here because I’m not really too sure myself.

Has been not a good day for me.

 

Father Time caught up with Usyk: the interesting thing, to me, is that pretty much everyone expected a garbage fight between Usyk and a kickboxer, and instead they got an absolutely thrilling match that should not have been stopped when it was. Boxing needs more good, real, fights, and less garbage like the BLATANTLY fixed match between AJ and Prenga.

 

You're right. I'm about to head to the old rope and rickety stool store then.

 

Never mind.

The first I knew about the fight was when I read that it was cancelled so you were ahead of me in the first instance.

Who are you planning to tie up in a chair btw? Doesn’t sound kosher.

 

I’ll just say imo, I really don’t understand the controversy re the stoppage.

As some feel should be the case, Rico was already afforded the extreme benefit of the doubt in a big fight when the ref deemed him fit to continue after the KD.

Rico couldn’t hold his legs properly, held onto the ropes for support and did not respond to the ref’s initial commands. If the fight was stopped then and there it wouldnt have been completely out of order.

He was then allowed an extended respite period due to him spitting out his own mouth guard.

All through that process Rico was still clearly impaired and couldn’t even defend himself when the fight was waved back on.

Now had the final sequence been the only time Rico was under fire, then the ensuing stoppage would perhaps have appeared premature.

However, that final sequence had to be read on context read with the damage already incurred by the first KD and the fact that Rico was still clearly unviable even after the additional respite time allowed to him.