What next for Usyk after Dubois victory?
Published:
Oleksandr Usyk maintained his unbeaten record with a knockout victory over Daniel Dubois in Poland on Saturday night.
The Ukrainian put down Dubois in the ninth round to retain his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts, although there was controversy over a punch deemed a low blow by the British fighter in the fifth round that left Usyk on the canvas.
Here we look at what comes next and the latest Fury v Usyk odds should the pair meet.
Could there be a rematch?
There was no rematch clause included in the contract but Dubois and his team were furious about the low blow decision and promoter Frank Warren has already said they will push for the fight to be declared a no contest, or a rematch ordered.
What about Tyson Fury?
Usyk was asked immediately after the fight about the prospect of facing WBC champion Tyson Fury in a unification contest and said he would be ready for it “tomorrow”. Fury is due to fight Francis Ngannou on October 28 in Saudi Arabia, and predicting the 35-year-old’s next move is notoriously difficult.
Coral have Fury v Usyk odds for a potential fight, with the ‘Gypsy King’ the clear favourite at 4/9 while Usyk is 7/4 to condemn Fury to the first defeat of his professional career.
Coral’s John Hill said: “Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over British boxer Daniel Dubois has led to calls for a unification contest to be made with WBC champion Tyson Fury. Should the pair meet in the ring in the upcoming future, we make Fury the favourite to win that fight and come away with all four major belts.”
Who else?
Filip Hrgovic is the mandatory IBF challenger and believes he should be ahead of Fury in the queue to take on Usyk. The undefeated Croatian defeated Demsey McKean on the same card which saw Anthony Joshua knock out Robert Helenius.
Could it be Joshua?
Usyk and Joshua have gone toe-to-toe in two of the most high-profile fights in recent years, with the Ukrainian causing an upset in the first contest and then narrowly retaining the titles he won. A third fight does not appear to be on the cards, though, with Joshua eyeing a clash against Deontay Wilder in a double bill with Usyk v Fury.
Any other options?
At 36, there must be questions about Usyk’s future in the sport and, if the Fury fight does not happen soon, how long will he hang on? The Ukrainian took up arms in the early stages of the war against Russia and events in his homeland could also be a factor in his next move.
All odds and markets correct at date of publication
