There has been significant speculation about Oleksandr Usyk potentially returning to the cruiserweight division to face the winner of the WBA/WBO title unification bout between Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith. The speculation was spurred on by words from Oscar De La Hoya, who associated Usyk with the fight during the final press conference for the event.
Still, Alex Krassyuk, Usyk’s promoter, has been pretty vigorous in denying these statements, pointing to the fact that those are just marketing strategies. While Usyk gets ready for the unification of the heavyweight titles against Tyson Fury, one may not feel that the future holds any cruiserweight plans for the 36-year-old Ukrainian.
Speculations Start Arising from De La Hoya’s Statement
During the final press conference before the Zurdo Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith fight in Riyadh, De La Hoya hinted at the prospect of Oleksandr Usyk possibly going back to the cruiserweight class to challenge the victor. The statement created quite a bit of the hype, thus pitching Usyk as likely to face either Ramirez or Billam-Smith in the future. But, as usual, Alex Krassyuk quickly countered such thoughts, saying it is only a marketing ploy to capitalize on the popularity Usyk has garnered in the boxing ring.
Oleksandr Usyk’s Current Focus Remains on Heavyweight
Being one of the most successful pound-for-pound fighters in the boxing world currently, Oleksandr Usyk has generated many expectations towards his career, especially after his fight with Tyson Fury set for December 21. Indeed, in the interview with Krassyuk, he noted that Usyk has shown no serious inclination to reclaim his secondary status as a cruiserweight fighter. Rather, he focused on the rather hilarious suggestions from Usyk on what he could do after his boxing career. They have included taking to politics, acting, and even space travel.
It is in this context that Krassyuk attributed such comments by De La Hoya as being more of an attempt to market his event ‘Latino Night’ more than anything else with regards to the Oleksandr Usyk fight. Hence, the name Usyk has been associated with success in boxing, and throughout boxing matches, the same name has often been used to create awareness even though Usyk may not be part of the match.
What’s Next For Oleksandr Usyk?
As Oleksandr Usyk gears up for the champion’s battle with Tyson Fury, his goal is to keep his heavyweight championship belts. Away from the Fury bout, the future of Usyk’s fighting career remains unclear. However, it seems that a comeback to cruiserweight is one of the options that he has almost ruled out given the other possibilities that have included Hollywood acting and leadership positions in his home country.
At the moment, both the fans and the critics can only guess what is ahead for Usyk. Nonetheless, the urgent task of the heavyweight kingpin is undoubtedly a fight with Fury, planned for December, which is designed to strengthen his position in the history of the sport even more.
Conclusion
Though the comments of Oscar De La Hoya motivated boxing fans, the response from Alex Krassyuk has shed more light on Oleksandr Usyk’s plans for the next fight. As one of the most diverse and popular fighters in the sport, Usyk is still a subject of debate when it comes to the fighter’s future. Nevertheless, a return to cruiserweight seems far from plausible at this time at the highest level. In his next bout, scheduled for December 21, Usyk will square off against Tyson Fury for the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles, with fans still wondering about the future of the Ukrainian champion after his fights.
