In the case of the brilliant Oleksandr Usyk, it really is now a case of enjoy him, appreciate him, and marvel over him while you can. Because Usyk, at 38 years of age, doesn’t plan to spend too much more time in the sport he says he still loves more than anything. It is, sadly, so very rare to see a great champion go out on top, when at or near the peak of his powers.
At heavyweight, we have seen it happen, with greats such as Rocky Marciano, Gene Tunney, and Lennox Lewis all going out on their own terms, and in the case of “The Rock,” whilst sporting a perfect, unblemished record.
How Many Fights Does Usyk Have Left?
Now, Usyk, as we know will soon face the dangerous Daniel Dubois in a return meeting on July 19, this a fight that will give both men the chance to walk away with all four heavyweight titles; this a chance to do so again in the case of Usyk (with Usyk also having reigned as the first-ever four-belt cruiserweight champion of the world). And after that, Usyk says he aims to have just one more fight.
“Why am I still boxing? Because the Lord gives me the opportunity – and I take it,” Usyk said to DAZN. “My task is to become the undisputed champion for the third time. I love boxing, I love training, I love training hard. I have two fights left: with Dubois and one more, with whom – I don’t know. I will tell after this fight. This is my life.”
So, maybe Usyk, 23-0(14) does have his final ring opponent in mind, maybe he doesn’t. Tyson Fury may well be out of luck in his demand for a third fight with Usyk, but then again, perhaps Usyk will agree to take on and defeat the sore-losing former champion one more time.
Again, let’s enjoy Usyk while he’s still doing his thing. Most experts are picking Usyk to defeat Dubois again, but nobody is saying it will be easy. Usyk doesn’t like easy, he lives for the challenge. In this spirit, don’t expect him to pick a nice, safe opponent for his career finale.
