If Oleksandr Usyk ever fights again, he will likely do so under a different promotional aegis.
The unified heavyweight champion of the world from Ukraine retained his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF titles by earning a split decision in his competitive 12-round rematch with Anthony Joshua this past Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The fight apparently marks the end of Usyk’s tenure under Matchroom Boxing, the British promotional company helmed by Eddie Hearn, whose flagship client is Joshua. Matchroom promoted Usyk for his last five fights stretching back to 2018, when the Ukrainian fought Tony Bellew in a cruiserweight title unification bout.
Alexander Krassyuk, the longtime Ukrainian promoter of Usyk, indicated that his charge no longer has contractual ties with Hearn’s Matchroom.
“No, the rematch obligation was executed, and we have got no other commitments with Matchroom,” Krassyuk told BoxingScene.com in a text message.
“Our co-promotional deal with Matchroom expired after Derek Chisora fight,” Krassyuk added, referring to Usyk’s October 2020 fight with the British veteran.
“After that we were the official contender for WBO [heavyweight title] and we signed the agreement to fight AJ and included the rematch.”
Soon after raising his hands for Joshua, Usyk declared that he wants to face Tyson Fury, the WBC titlist, next or else he would think about retiring. Although he claimed he was retired, Fury himself seemed to indicate in a social media post, published soon after Usyk’s win, that he would be willing to face the Ukrainian. An Usyk-Fury fight would be for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Bob Arum, the American promoter for Fury, has long insisted that negotiations with Usyk would be relatively smooth because he is friends with the Ukrainian and because he has a working relationship with Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas, who has several clients under contract with Arum’s Top Rank, including three-division Ukrainian champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“Bob Arum is in touch with Egis Klimas,” Krassyuk said when asked about the feasibility of Usyk-Fury talks. “Don’t forget that Fury has Frank Warren as his promoter anywhere outside USA.”