After winning the first undisputed world heavyweight championship of the four-belt era, Oleksandr Usyk has options aplenty.
The Ukrainian handed Tyson Fury his first loss as a professional on Saturday night to unify the heavyweight division for the first time since Lennox Lewis at the turn of the millennium. And while the pair signed a two-fight deal, it remains to be seen if an immediate rematch is next.
Fury appeared to be bullish about the rematch in the ring immediately after the fight, but backtracked and seemed unsure about what was next in their press conference. But one boxing legend believes Usyk should hang up the gloves before having to face his rival again.
Carl Froch tells Oleksandr Usyk to retire after stunning Tyson Fury win
A popular take from boxing fans after watching Usyk defeat Fury was that the Ukrainian, now aged 37, should retire from the sport. He systematically went about picking up all the belts to become undisputed at cruiserweight before moving up and unifying at heavyweight, but is now in the twilight of his career.
And Hall of Fame boxer Carl Froch agrees with the take, saying during a recent episode of talkSPORT’s ‘The Verdict’ podcast with George Groves: “I think the only thing Usyk will do is retire, he will either have the rematch or retire, he’s got nothing to prove.
“He’s beaten AJ twice, he’s now beaten Tyson Fury. He is the generational great for me. Usyk is the main, he is the leader of the pack.
“When you look back at this generation of heavyweights you’re going to look back and say ‘Oleksandr Usyk is the main man, he’s dominated’. In my opinion, he should retire.
“He’s done everything he needs to do, he’s made enough money, he’s mastered the game, he’s completed boxing. There is nothing left to do; undisputed cruiserweight, undisputed heavyweight, 37 years old, getting towards 40.”
Carl Froch details why he retired in plea to Oleksandr Usyk
Froch was a pound-for-pound great when he retired in 2014 at the same age Usyk is today. He had just defeated Groves at Wembley and was still well able to compete at a high level, but decided to call it a day to protect his future.
And he feels that Usyk should do the same, adding: “When I retired I was nearly 37. Usyk is at that age where I know how you feel in training camp and how you feel in round seven and eight.
“He’s completed boxing, hang up the gloves, and turn it in. That is my advice to him. I don’t think he’s got anything left to prove, the rematch proves nothing. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and the rest of the heavyweights can fight for the number two position.”
Oleksandr Usyk refuses to be drawn on boxing future
For his part, Usyk has insisted that he won’t be talking about what’s next for the foreseeable future as he returns home to be with his family. Ukraine is still at war with Russia and he will be preoccupied with his wife and children’s safety after spending the better part of a year in camp.
“I don’t think about boxing now, please,” Uysk told reporters in Saudi on Saturday night. “My camp started in September 2023, I worked for nine months.”
“I missed Happy New Year, I missed my son’s birthday, I missed my daughter’s birthday and then the birth of my daughter. I also missed family holidays. I was only focused on this fight, now I’m happy and I want to go back home.”
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