Ukrainian mentions famous boxers when asked about desired opponents from previous eras
Holder of WBO/WBA/IBO/WBC heavyweight belts Alexander Usik said that he would like to fight with two champions of past generations – Joe Louis and Mike Tyson.
“Joe Louis is one of the best heavyweight champions in boxing history. For his time, he was very technical and had a strong impact. Mike Tyson is speed, power and unstoppability. It would be interesting to fight such an opponent.”
On the night of May 19, Usyk inflicted the first defeat of Tyson Fury’s professional career in a fight that took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The victory was awarded to the Ukrainian by a split decision of the judges: 115-112, 113-114 and 114-113.
Alexander became the first absolute heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. In the heavyweight division, the last time the absolute title was held was by Lennox Lewis in 1999, but back then three titles were enough to win the title.
Usyk subsequently issued a statement in which he announced that he would give the IBF belt to the winner of the British derby between his two former opponents in the ring – Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua.. Thus, Alexander lost the status of absolute world champion in heavyweight, which he held for more than a month.
Usyk and Fury have reached an agreement for a rematch. The “Gypsy King” has officially activated the rematch option. The second fight between Alexander and Tyson will take place on December 21, 2024, in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said he would seek the introduction of video replays in this fight.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
