Following his second win over Daniel Dubois, by emphatic fifth-round stoppage, Oleksandr Usyk said he will take a break before deciding who to face next. Joseph Parker wants a shot. Tyson Fury is training to seemingly fight him again. Jake Paul clambered into the ring to challenge him. What should the 38-year-old Usyk do next?
Tris Dixon: I wouldn’t be mad to see him walk away after that, but if he is to fight again then Joseph Parker is the worthiest opponent. Commercially, Fury at Wembley is bigger than that, and commercially Jake Paul is probably bigger than Fury (sighs). But I’d like to see Parker get his shot.
Elliot Worsell: Parker, then out. I’ve no interest in the other fights mentioned. Even the Parker fight feels a bit anticlimactic following the Joshua and Fury fights. But Parker has earned his opportunity and Usyk is entitled to keep making money against contenders.
Lucas Ketelle: Just walk away. His achievements (two-division undisputed champion and most of his victories coming on the road) put him up there with Ali, Lennox Lewis and Joe Louis. This was the first fight you could see his legs start to show signs of age. Retire as one of the greatest ever. I will forever love Usyk’s career, because he didn’t look for “A-side advantages” and this would be a fitting end to a Hall of Fame career.
Declan Warrington: Retire. The “rivalry” with Dubois was a contrived one built on the controversy that shouldn’t have followed the low blow of their first fight, but Dubois had come to represent a marketable opponent and presented Usyk with the opportunity to reclaim the undisputed heavyweight title. He’s ultimately twice beaten Dubois, twice beaten Tyson Fury, and twice beaten Anthony Joshua, establishing himself as not only the finest heavyweight, but the finest fighter, of his era. Before that, winning an Olympic gold medal gave him the highest honour he could achieve as an amateur, and winning the undisputed title gave him the highest honour he could achieve as a cruiserweight. What else could there possibly be to prove? He’s financially secure, and there isn’t an opponent out there capable of enhancing his legacy, so he should retire at 38 with his health and legacy as intact as they are ever going to be.
Kieran Mulvaney: I agree with the others in that I'd be very happy to see him retire, but if he does want to continue then Joseph Parker absolutely deserves the next shot. I hope he doesn't go the Jake Paul route and I suspect he won't. No need to listen to the world's worst matchmaker and face Moses Itauma, either; Itauma’s probably going to be great but he isn't ready for that smoke.
I would hate for Usyk to continue too long and eventually get old and lose to someone undeserving, but he's a smart man and I don't think he'll stretch it out too far. But he has also earned the right to do whatever the heck he wants. I'm just grateful we have had the chance to watch him in action. I think back to when he was about to defend his cruiserweight belts against Michael Hunter in 2017 and I said to him: “You know, you're big enough that you could be a heavyweight.” So, yep, I'm taking credit for all of it.
Owen Lewis: I’ve advocated for Usyk to retire after each of his fantastic, fierce fights with Tyson Fury. I even, foolishly, went so far as to pick Dubois to beat Usyk this past weekend – I was that confident that 24 rounds with Fury would take some kind of toll. But hell, Usyk looked as sharp as ever on Saturday. This is different from Manny Pacquiao looking better than expected at 46 years old; Manny’s still a million miles past his prime and at increased risk of hurting himself badly in the ring. Usyk may still be at his peak.
While I’d be relieved to see Usyk duck out of the sport now with his health and an immaculate resume, there’s clearly more he can achieve. My only ask is that he fight somebody next who he hasn’t fought already, and who is not named Jake Joseph Paul. Usyk’s resume at heavyweight is incredibly deep but not especially broad; he’s rematched Anthony Joshua, Dubois, and Fury. Joseph Parker inarguably deserves his shot, but I’d also love to see Usyk fight Agit Kabayel, the savage body puncher. Each of those fights would present a new stylistic contrast and add a unique name to Usyk’s brief but brilliant heavyweight run.
Lance Pugmire: Joseph Parker is the most deserving contender even if he lacks the promotional power of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Usyk has proven himself as the premier heavyweight of this generation, and a final battle against a former champion who has impressively rebuilt himself from a loss to Joshua would be a formidable and appropriate exit strategy for the three-time undisputed champion from the Ukraine.
Eric Raskin: If Usyk had shown even the slightest sign of slowing down Saturday, I might be ready to recommend he retire on top, but this wasn’t Lennox Lewis struggling with Vitali Klitschko or even Rocky Marciano getting off the deck to stop Archie Moore. Usyk looked as spectacular as ever in the Dubois rematch. I don’t believe he’s seriously contemplating that being his final fight — nor should he be.
Joseph Parker has earned a shot, and Usyk appears to recognize that, and will therefore likely give it to him. Assuming Usyk gets past Parker, Agit Kabayel should be next in line. Sure, there are larger paychecks available against other opponents, but I don’t think money is Usyk’s primary motivation. Until he starts to show signs of aging, I expect him to continue on this path for a little while longer of taking on whoever is the best available heavyweight.
