Former world champion Carl Froch has urged Oleksandr Usyk to retire from boxing instead of facing Tyson Fury in a rematch. This comes after Usyk’s historic victory over Fury, where he became the first undisputed champion in the four-belt era and nearly stopped Fury in the ninth round.
Usyk, now a two-weight undisputed champion, previously held all the belts at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight in 2019. He currently occupies the No.1 spot on the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s ‘The Verdict’ podcast with George Groves, Froch expressed his view that Usyk has nothing left to prove in the sport. “I think the only thing Usyk will do is retire, he will either have the rematch or retire,” said Froch. “He’s got nothing to prove. He’s beaten AJ twice, he’s now beaten Tyson Fury. He is the generational great for me. Usyk is the main, he is the leader of the pack.”
Froch, who retired at nearly 37 years old, believes Usyk should follow suit given his age and accomplishments. “In my opinion, he should retire, he’s done everything he needs to do, he’s made enough money, he’s mastered the game, he’s completed boxing. There is nothing left to do. Undisputed cruiserweight, undisputed heavyweight, 37 years old, getting towards 40.”
The former unified super-middleweight champion added, “He’s completed boxing, hang up the gloves, and turn it in. That is my advice to him. I don’t think he’s got anything left to prove, the rematch proves nothing. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and the rest of the heavyweights can fight for the number two position.”
Despite Froch’s advice, Usyk and Fury are contractually obliged to a rematch, provided Fury activates the two-way rematch clause in their contracts. Fury has indicated his intention to do so, and Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, confirmed that the rematch would happen. “We are men of our words,” Krassyuk told Boxing King Media. “It’s not about paperwork – if we shake hands and promise something, we do it. I see no reason for the rematch not to take place.”
The rematch is tentatively scheduled for October 12/13, with a subsequent fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua targeted for March 2025.
Credit: TalkSport
