Usyk vs Fury: What's at stake and will there be rematch?

It’s worth noting that, unlike the May fight, the title of undisputed champion is not on the line this time. In June, the Ukrainian voluntarily gave up his IBF belt. The vacant title went to British fighter Daniel Dubois, who defeated compatriot Anthony Joshua.

Therefore, the fight will be for the three main titles — WBC, WBA, and WBO — which currently belong to Usyk. A victory over Fury would mean that the Ukrainian retains these titles. What could his career look like afterward? We present the most likely scenarios.

Retirement

Leaving the ring with his head held high as an undefeated champion isn’t the worst option for the 37-year-old athlete. This decision would be understood by many.

However, figures like Fury, Dubois, and other top boxers would undoubtedly claim that Usyk was scared and retired to avoid facing them. Boxing organizations may offer Usyk titles like "super champion" or "champion in recess," granting him priority for a title shot whenever he decides to return.

At the moment, this scenario seems unlikely. Usyk doesn’t yet appear tired of boxing, so it’s more probable that the show will continue.

Trilogy with Fury

This is highly unlikely. A second consecutive victory for the Ukrainian would settle the matter once and for all. Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, recently stated that a clause for a third fight is included in the contract, but only if Fury wins.

Theoretically, the sides could agree on a trilogy even if Usyk wins. However, this would have to be a very unconvincing, controversial victory — one where the judges' verdict is seriously questioned. Still, it’s doubtful that even in such a case, the fight would be promoted to the level of the first two.

Martin Bakole (photo: instagram.com/martin_bakole)

Title defenses and potential relinquishments

When a fighter holds multiple belts and there’s no one opponent that satisfies all parties, problems arise. Organizations aren’t keen on a champion holding a title for long without defending it. And with three organizations, each with its own contender and ranking leaders, the situation becomes even more complicated.

Currently, excluding Fury, the top contenders in the heavyweight rankings are Martin Bakole from the DRC (WBA and IBF), Agit Kabayel from Germany (WBC), and Chinese fighter Zhang Zhilei (WBO). Additionally, the WBA has a regular champion, Kubrat Pulev from Bulgaria, and the WBO has a temporary champion, New Zealander Joseph Parker. All of them are vying for title shots and aren’t willing to wait for Usyk to arrange them in line.

Top boxers typically fight no more than twice a year. To satisfy the interests of all three organizations, at least a year and a half would be needed. If an agreement can’t be made on a single challenger, organizations take a simple approach—they set a deadline by which the champion must defend the title. If this doesn’t happen, they declare the title vacant.

This was an issue that Vladimir Klitschko faced in the past. Usyk could soon face a dilemma about which title to relinquish in order to defend another.

Joseph Parker (photo: instagram.com/joeboxerparker)

Unification fight for the IBF title

The most logical and likely scenario. When discussing this fight, we assume that the IBF champion is Dubois, although the British boxer is scheduled for his first title defense in February. The challenger has already been decided — Parker. The likelihood of the New Zealander winning is low, although he has surprised the boxing community before, defeating British boxer Derek Chisora (twice), American Deontay Wilder, and Chinese fighter Zhang Zhilei.

A win for Parker is unlikely to satisfy Usyk either. He is not as marketable as Dubois, so a fight with him would be much less interesting. However, a rematch between the Ukrainian and the Briton, especially for the title of undisputed champion, would definitely be seen as another “fight of the century.” If the teams can agree, the fight would likely take place no earlier than the second half of 2025.

Daniel Dubois (Photo: Getty Images)