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Fresh off his second conquering of Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk is already planning for his next conquest.
Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) is the WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO, and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion of the world. The only crown missing from his title collection is the WBC belt.
Usyk is very much open to the idea of fighting Tyson Fury for undisputed champion status once the British boxer stops bouncing back and forth between retirement.
“I want the WBC title. It was captured by the gypsies, some kind of king. We don’t know what Tyson has in his head. Everyone knows that this is a very crazy guy. I would really like this fight to happen next year,” Usyk said during a press conference on Friday.
“Fighting Tyson Fury in December is impossible. First, I have old injuries. Second, I just don’t want to box in December. I haven’t left the gym for half a year. I want to be with my children and my family. Boxing can wait for a little. Next year I think it will happen.”
Usyk expanded on his sentiment toward Fury in a separate interview with Sky Sports.
“He wants to fight against me. He wants people to talk about him. He hasn’t retired yet, it’s just a game – ‘I’m leaving boxing, I’m coming back.’ He still wants to earn money,” said Usyk. “All the fanciful comments against me, he probably thinks it will touch me. But it won’t. I take it like the crow arguing with the wolf sitting from the tree … the reality is that if the crow was close to the wolf, she would keep silent. Tyson Fury loves to talk – all of that blah blah blah.”
ESPN reported one week ago that a heavyweight unification fight between Usyk and Fury is targeted for February during Super Bowl weekend in the Middle East for what would end up being a 50-50 purse split.
Usyk, meanwhile, has stated that if the Fury fight floats away, he is open to facing Joshua for the third time.
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
