On the May 19th, 2024 Ring of Fire PPV, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to win the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship, This win was monumental for both Usyk and the sport as the heavyweight division hadn’t seen an undisputed champion in over 24 years.
Usyk became the first heavyweight to hold the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles at the same time. He also became the third-ever boxer to hold all four belts in multiple divisions, as he also achieved the same accomplishment when he was a Cruiserweight.
With this monumental win for Oleksandr Usyk, the question that is now on everybody’s minds is what’s next for boxing’s newest Undisputed Champion.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury
Usyk vs Fury was the main event of the Ring of Fire card, an event that featured multiple world title matches and potentially made a new star in the process.
The fight started off well for Fury, as he controlled the pace throughout the first half, especially once round 4 started. He had good precision strikes that were doing damage to Usyk, who was not responding with shots of his own.
However, Usyk picked up the pace in the later half of the fight and started getting the momentum back on his side. He had an excellent round 9, as he was able to force Tyson into a standing count, resulting in a 10-8 round. He continued to control the pace throughout the championship rounds, making an excellent comeback in the fight.
He won the fight via split decision, and his comeback will be talked about for a long time.
Read more about this fight here: New Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Has Been Crowned
Who’s Next for Usyk?
After this historical win and legendary performance, it’s time to talk about what’s next for Oleksandr Usyk.
Two names immediately come up in that conversation, those being Joseph Parker and Anthony Joshua. Both fighters are coming off amazing wins, as Joseph Parker defeated Zhilei Zhang via decision and Anthony Joshua pulled off the impossible by knocking out Francis Ngannou, both of which took place on the March 8th Saudi Arabia event.
Parker also convincingly defeated Deontay Wilder on the Day of Reckoning PPV December of 2023 via unanimous decision, on the same card that AJ defeated Otto Wallin in the 5th round via stoppage.
Both of these fighters would be great first defenses for Oleksandr Usyk. It seems as if Joshua Usyk 3 would be the more logical decision at this time. Usyk won their first two fights via decision, so it would seem likely for AJ to get that win back.
Both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk also called for a rematch after the fight during their in-ring interviews, so Usyk’s first defense could very well be another fight against the Gypsy King.
Potential Super Fight?
A potential super fight could also be in the works between Usyk and a top cruiserweight potentially looking to move up.
Jai Opetaia recently stated that he would love to step into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk. There have been talks in the past about the undefeated cruiserweight moving up a division, and it seems like that moment is getting closer day by day.
Opeatia defeated Mairis Briedis in the co-main event of the Ring of Fire event, as he won the fight via unanimous decision while claiming the vacant IBF Cruiserweight Championship. He also earned a round 1 knockout over Ellis Zoro in his fight before that. He is currently 25-0, with 19 KOs and multiple world title wins.
These are two undefeated boxers who have already made a legacy for themselves, and it would be a massive super fight if they decided to step into the ring with each other. This potential bout could end up being a historical one in the sport of boxing, especially if it ends up being Oleksandr Usyk’s first defense as Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.
About The Author
Shayan Malik has always been an avid fan of sports. He is currently studying sports communication, as he is hoping to take his sports knowledge to the next level. He enjoys writing about combat sports such as MMA and Pro Wrestling, as well as boxing.
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