Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has insisted that his fighter needn’t rush to fight Tyson Fury next.
The IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion last month defended his titles by stopping Daniel Dubois, aware that next month Fury, the WBC champion, fights the mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou on the occasion of Ngannou’s professional boxing debut.
Krassyuk remains hopeful that in the event of the victory so widely expected for Fury that terms for the undisputed title fight between Usyk and Fury can be agreed.
He regardless recognises that Usyk could instead next fight Filip Hrgovic, the mandatory challenger for the IBF title, and despite his fighter nearing 37 and potentially showing signs of his age against Dubois, Krassyuk is adamant that he isn’t also racing against time.
“Do you think Fury can stop time from passing?” he asked. “August 12 [was Fury’s 35th birthday] – I wished him a happy birthday. Usyk is on his top now.
“If Fury wants to defeat him he would have to wait something like five years, because he will be on his top for the next two, three years, for sure. He’s 36. This is the golden era for a heavyweight.
“Don’t forget that Usyk came to boxing being 15 years old. Usyk’s camp – it’s not like just a crowd of people. These are very much experienced guys who learned throughout the whole career of Oleksandr Usyk. They know him perfectly.”
As a natural cruiserweight it remains possible that every fight Usyk has ages him more quickly than applies to the 35-year-old Fury. Fury also recently spoke of an offer from UFC to fight Jon Jones.
“[Usyk’s team] know what has to be done to keep him on that level,” Krassyuk continued. They do their job properly.”
