Oleksandr Usyk facing Canelo Alvarez at heavyweight is no longer a fantasy matchup. The formidable Ukrainian wants the fight to happen.
After defeating Anthony Joshua in an August rematch in Saudi Arabia, Usyk wants three more fights before retiring.
Canelo, who recently defeated Gennadiy Golovkin in a trilogy fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is on Usyk’s shortlist.
The two fighters could meet after Usyk becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion. Either he faces Tyson Fury or someone else for the WBC belt.
Once claimed, the man who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts would be willing to give Canelo a title shot as he attempts to create more history.
Despite losing to Dmitry Bivol via unanimous decision for the pre-fight underdog, Canelo remains a former champion at light heavyweight. This scenario means that he won world titles in four separate weight classes.
Cruiserweight and bridgeweight provide opportunities for a fifth and sixth place finish. However, the upper limit is the holy grail for Canelo.
Will Oleksandr Usyk fight Canelo Alvarez?
Speaking in an interview with Parimatch on his YouTube channel, Usyk greenlit a future fan-friendly battle with the undisputed super middleweight belt holder.
“I can fight three more times,” revealed Usyk. “It’s a realistic prospect of my best form.
after my fight [with Anthony Joshua]I can fight three more times in my prime.
“[I want to fight] with Fury, Canelo and the farewell fight at Olympiyskyi [Stadium in Ukraine].”
At Canelo, Usyk admitted that he would agree to the fight, knowing that it was merely a Pay Per View blockbuster and nothing more.
“Yes, with Canelo. He wanted to fight me. But it will be a ‘phenomenon’ fight, just to make money.”
It looks like Usyk has given up on facing Tyson Fury for the time being.
Fury Tyson
“Despite his toughness and how he’s generally portrayed, he’s scared,” Usyk said on “The Gypsy King,” possibly agreeing to fight fellow Brit Joshua in the first of two fights.
“I will not support either. But I won’t even watch this fight. I don’t want to. It’s okay, she was just kidding,” she chuckled.
“I will even go live to see how they throw punches at each other. Honestly, I don’t think about them at all. Do you want to know what I’m really thinking?
“I want to see my children, hug them and kiss them. That’s all I’m thinking about. I just need to beat it [Fury], and then that’s it. It’s time to retire.
If Usyk is describing Fury as the last time he will be in a competitive fight it may have been lost in translation. But it seems that Usyk doesn’t see Canelo as a real test.
gaining weight
If he has any chance of negotiating with Usyk in the future, Canelo Alvarez will have to work his way up gradually, having moved too quickly in recent years. The 32-year-old needs to claim a 175-pound title before challenging one of the world’s champion fighters at cruiserweight.
Eventually, if the superstar with the Cinnamon moniker bypasses the bridging weight, a heavyweight matchup could be on the cards in 2024.
DAZN PPV and Eddie Hearn would be in on the entire collision as they were with GGG’s third fight. Both men could earn massive sums before they retire.
The most likely place would be the United States. Whether it’s the MGM Grand or the T-Mobile Arena.
Usyk must first consider Joe Joyce as his mandatory challenger. A knockout victory over Joseph Parker on Saturday night could be pivotal in Usyk keeping all of his belts intact to return in 2023.
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