Comments Thread For: Approaches made to IBF and WBA regarding Oleksandr Usyk's status as champion

[BoxingUpdates]

It's unknown if the WBA and the IBF will follow the WBC's lead and sanction heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk's bizarre fight with kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23
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[takenotes]

They should just strip him at this point.

The problem is not that there is nobody for him to fight...the problem is none of those people would generate any $$. My guess is they dangled Wilder out there to see what the interest would be. Turned out there was not enough to justify the match from a money standpoint. Kabayel, Wardley do not have enough name recognition. Parker lost so there goes that fight. He already beat DDD and AJ twice. Fury is coming back but again, Usyk beat him twice. Flavor of the month seems to be these weird exhibition fights and fights against you tubers.

[Goatintheboat]

They should just strip him at this point.

The problem is not that there is nobody for him to fight...the problem is none of those people would generate any $$. My guess is they dangled Wilder out there to see what the interest would be. Turned out there was not enough to justify the match from a money standpoint. Kabayel, Wardley do not have enough name recognition. Parker lost so there goes that fight. He already beat DDD and AJ twice. Fury is coming back but again, Usyk beat him twice. Flavor of the month seems to be these weird exhibition fights and fights against you tubers.

It isn't that any other fighter wouldn't generate $$$ it's that they won't generate what Usyk has been used to over the last 4 years. Just a greedy tw£t

[low blows]

Honestly he should just retire, this is coming from a fan who witnessed probably the greatest pure boxing display from the man against Joshua in their first fight. He was as close to perfection on that night as any modern sized heavyweight as ever been.

This junk fight should never be worth more than a defense against Kabayel or Wardley, maybe a Chisora rematch but that is about it.

[landotter]

I do not begrudge Usyk making his coin. I also am fine with with the sanctioning bodies doing what they need to. I do not think he should be stripped as I think he has done enough to keep the belts, but I would lose no sleep if they do.

Just do not sanction this thing.

[Spray_resistant]

So what then, all of the sanctioning bodies strip him then have fights for vacant titles but Usyk is still the legitimate HW champion of the world and now their title holders are paper champions.

[Coverdale]

It isn't that any other fighter wouldn't generate $$$ it's that they won't generate what Usyk has been used to over the last 4 years. Just a greedy tw£t

Agreed. Usyk - Wardley would have sold out Portman Road. I didn't really understand Krassyuk's "it doesn't make business sense" comment (and yes I am aware he was no longer managing him). Was he saying that if he accepted less money it reduces his leverage or something?

[richardt]

Boxing NEEDS TO STOP justifying and lowering itself with these matches against MMA/UFC fighters! It makes no sense at all. Is Usyk broke and on skid row? NO! So there is no reason a multi-millionare fighter should ever justify these types of matches. One fighter was a DISGRACE to boxing doing this and embarassed the sport by his fight with Ndou by Fury. And then Joshua had to go and restore some of that by blasting out Ndou or that would have been a double black eye to boxing cause then the UFC/MMC world would have laughed that their fighters could beat our champions. It almost happened with that sht for brains Fury.

[SouthpawRight]

Boxing NEEDS TO STOP justifying and lowering itself with these matches against MMA/UFC fighters! It makes no sense at all. Is Usyk broke and on skid row? NO! So there is no reason a multi-millionare fighter should ever justify these types of matches. One fighter was a DISGRACE to boxing doing this and embarassed the sport by his fight with Ndou by Fury. And then Joshua had to go and restore some of that by blasting out Ndou or that would have been a double black eye to boxing cause then the UFC/MMC world would have laughed that their fighters could beat our champions. It almost happened with that sht for brains Fury.

lol ukraine is the biggest grift these last few years

[JimRaynor]

Usyk is looking to maximize his earnings and limit his risk with his next 3 fights. In other words he's cashing out. Not great for boxing, but when you're Usyk and you have been fighting top competition your whole life and not getting properly compensated, always being the B side, and now its finally his time to call the shots. So naturally at 39, he's going to make up monetarily for lost time with his next 3 fights.