Alex Krassyuk, who promotes the WBA/WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, discussed the potential fight options for the Ukrainian in case negotiations with WBC champion Tyson Fury fail.
"There are two sides to being an absolute world champion. Positive and negative. Positive - you get money, fame, recognition. The negative is that you're stuck in a very narrow space between organizations that sanction fights and force you to fight mandatory contenders."
"Usyk received his titles, being in the status of a mandatory contender. Then held a rematch as a voluntary belt defense with Joshua. Currently, all applicants are in line for a battle with Usyk. And time is quite limited."
"No matter what happens, even if there is no big fight, Usyk has to meet with the contenders. Otherwise, you will have to make the belts vacant or they will be taken away. These are the rules. Of course, there is a huge difference between fighting Fury and, for example, Dubois or Hrgovic. But if you want to enter the history of boxing, so that your name is written there in golden letters, you have to go through it," stated Krassyuk.
On April 29th, at London's Wembley Stadium, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to meet for the title of undisputed world champion. Usyk is currently training extensively, with only one day off scheduled in his training regimen.
Earlier, promoter Alex Krassyuk expressed optimism regarding the prompt signing of the unification fight contract. Usyk proposed a new fee distribution scheme of 60-40 in favor of the winner of the fight, after previously suggesting an equal distribution of income.
It's worth noting that the IBF canceled its order for Usyk's mandatory title defense against Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic. Hrgovic became the IBF's mandatory challenger after defeating China's Zhang Zhilei in August. Another option for Usyk's next fight could be mandatory WBA contender, Daniel Dubois.