Sounds like Usyk-Dubois II is all but done...

This is the correct insight. Parker is fresh as a daisy, as DD will be in another week. They should throw down no later than April. Then winner fights Usyk for all the marbles.

 

I would strongly prefer this but it's really unlikely after 5 months of camp. Both fighters risk overtraining, and I'm sure Parker wants to spend time with his family. It would take crazy money to get both in the ring together in the next few months.

 

I am nowhere near an expert on this subject so I am asking from the perspective of gaining knowledge. If these men are in fighting shape now, can they stay in shape without a full blown camp? 6 weeks isn't that long. Parker can do some light workouts from his home and a few week prior to the fight do some serious work. How would that be a detriment at this point?

 

I watched Russ Anber's (Usyk's coach) perspective on Usyk's 9 month camp. He said that Usyk was significantly overtrained for the first Fury fight because it kept getting canceled. Fighters always work out, but camps are designed to have you peaking around fight date (sparring prep, conditioning, etc.). There's also a decent psychological component because fighters need to be able to feel that they're improving and peaking. Apparently Usyk had a really tough time working himself up for the camp after Fury's cut because he already peaked in the prior camp.

Everybody needs rest and many athletes need time and space to work towards a goal too and I'd think that Parker needs time to work himself up towards another fight.

 

I know I'm taking this conversation into a completely diffrent area, but your answer makes me wonder, how did the old time fighters fight so often and not over train? Some guys had stints of fighting once a month regardless of how tough the previous fight was. Begs the question, if a modern fighter can't get back in the ring in 6 weeks after a 4 minute fight, are modern training techniques better than the old antiquated methods?

 

Sports science (training, nutrition, etc.) changed the game. It's undoubtedly true that athletes today in general are significantly stronger, faster, more athletic, etc. (look at olympics gymnastics etc.)

Now this change is gradual of course, happen in generations (so there is some laggine effect), and there are outliers (think Usain Bolt), but had Bolt been born 20 years before, there's no chance his record would have held. Even the great Michael Phelps' numerous records have all been broken. Look at Muhammad Ali's response on whether any past fighters could beat him (

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Every generation has different playing fields (and different mentalities) and past fighters definitely didn't optimize physical conditioning, but neither did their competitors.

The question has always been whether boxers in the past are more skilled (long debate for next time).

 

Such a dumb take

 

Lmao

So you're just another fury fanboy...It all makes sense now. Hilarious

 

This is something that legitimately makes me a bit pissed. I believed Dubois getting an infection and thought that dropping out of the Parker fight was fair- But now it just seems like it was a stunt to dodge Joseph, keep his title, and get another shot at Usyk. Very annoying, and it does nothing more than ensure that:

1. We'll have to wait even longer for both men to face new, fresh competition.
2. Parker is being ripped of his right to fight for the title, as has happened many times over at this point.
And 3. We're likely gonna get even less meaningful fights from Usyk before his retirement.

I've been very happy with how the heavyweights have seemed to be doing recently. The Usyk - Fury fights, Dubois' rise towards gaining the IBF title, Parker and Kayabel's recent wins, it seemed that the heavyweights were all really starting to mix it up again and get interesting, REAL interesting... But this takes away a decent bit of the respect I had for Usyk and Dubois, until I see reason otherwise. It's a certain stain on their records.

 

I don't think one can criticize usyk much in this situation if he takes the dubois fight. He never seemed eager to take that fight whenever he was asked about his next opponents and seems to want to regain the stupid undisputed distinction (is already undisputed by any reasonable tought process, there are just too many stupid belts). And most of all - judging everyone by the same standards - all top heavyweights do exactly what the sheik asks them to do (which is good in most cases). Bakole on short notice for example, but basically everyone and their dad wants to fight on saudi cards and takes the opponents the sheik chooses. How can one criticize usyk (or dubois) for that and not the whole landscape of hw boxing. And I am sure that the same would have happened in past generations.

The only viable criticism to me is if one believes the pull out from dubois and warren was planned to keep the title. Then the sheik should go for another match.

But yes I would too prefer kabayel and parker to dubois after pulling out.

 

This is really disappointing. Parker vs Dubois should go on and then let the winner fight Usyk. If Dubois can’t get past Parker what chance does he have against Usyk? Dubois last three wins are good but style wise chosen very well for him. Parker would have been a bit more of a test and see if he actually has a chance against Usyk (a man who’s already beat him convincingly)

now watch the next matchroom vs Queensbury 5v5 have AJ vs Parker on it as eddies last hope to have usyks last fight be a AJ trilogy. Boxings politics at its finest

 

Sucks for Joe but maybe he can fight Kabayel and the winners fight at the end of the year? There's really no one else in the mix.

 

I also would rather see him fight Parker or Kabayel but you were leading the charge on here saying that Dubios knocked him out with a body shot so he is just doing what your man Floyd did giving a fight some people said he lost a rematch.