Usyk’s Final Say: Why the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Holds the Power to Choose His Next Opponent

DAZN reports that the director of Team Usyk and RTF Serhii Lapin says undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will choose his future fights.

With two big wins over Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua in the last four years, Usyk has earned the right to choose who he wants to fight rather than being ordered to take less-appealing ones, like Joseph Parker.

The WBO had ordered Usyk to defend against his mandatory, Joseph Parker. However, Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) has injuries and will need to heal.

Turki’s Wish: Usyk vs. Itauma

It’s still too early to know if Usyk, 38, will take the fight with Parker or look in the direction of more lucrative fights against Tyson Fury or Moses Itauma.

It’s no secret that Turki Alalshikh would like for Usyk to defend his belts against the young 20-year-old upstart Itauma after his big win last Saturday night in Riyadh against Dillian Whyte.

If Usyk wants to put a smile on the face of Turki, he’ll bend to his wishes and fight his heir apparent Itauma to hand all the gold to him. It would be like a tradition. The old lion is conquered by the younger one. Itauma needs Usyk’s scalp to become an instant superstar in the sport and dominate the heavyweight division for the next decade or more.

Usyk has earned a lot of money since 2021. With his net worth estimated at $120 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, getting the most loot possible might not be what Oleksandr wants. If his goal is not to get the biggest paydays in his remaining fights for his career, perhaps he’ll go ahead and defend against his WBO mandatory Parker.

Usyk vs. Parker: A Tough Sell

The problem with that fight is that it won’t sell in the U.S or the UK, which are two of Usyk’s biggest markets. Fighting Parker would be a disappointment for fans, but Usyk might not have a choice if he wants to hold onto all four of his belts. He needs all that gold in his possession for when he faces his inheritor, Itauma, for the honorary handing over of the titles to the new star in the division.