Usyk names Wilder as next opponent

Oleksandr Usyk has finally revealed the man he would like to face next. The Ukrainian, on Monday, called out Deontay Wilder as the man he would like to face next, saying it will be “interesting”.

Since successfully defending his titles against Daniel Dubois back in July, the big question was: “Who was Usyk going to fight next?” With double victories over names like Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Dubois, it seemed like Usyk had run out of people to face.

Added to that, his status as an undisputed champion, on two occasions, had led to requests for mandatory fights, which he squeezed out of. The latest was when he recently vacated the IBF title instead of facing Fabio Wardley.

For Usyk, the freedom to pick who you fight and when you fight out, outweighs being called “undisputed champion”.

After the July fight with Dubois, Usyk had said that he had planned to rest for a while before thinking of his next fight or opponent. Now, it looks like he’s reached a decision in the person of the Bronze Bomber.

Wilder is a former WBC heavyweight champion who remained undefeated until losing back-to-back to Tyson Fury. Although his recent records as not as stellar for a man who was said to have the heaviest blow in the heavyweight division at some point, he’s still not someone to count out.

Announcing who his next opponent would be, Usyk said, “I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting.

“This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy.”

Although Usyk was not in the heavyweight division during Wilder’s heyday, he still recognises the power the American once had and the importance of fighting him.

For Wilder’s team, the fight is as good as on, according to Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel. The only thing left is for them to receive a proper offer, and the fight would take place sometime next year.

The possibility of a Usyk vs. Wilder bout, with all of Usyk’s three titles on the line,  is the kind of fixture the heavyweight division needs at this time.

With names like Fury absent and Anthony Joshua gearing up to face Jake Paul, this is the fixture needed to heat things up and bring excitement to the weight class again.