Retired, but not happily. That’s the state Tyson Fury finds himself in after suffering back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, missing his chance to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion. According to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, Fury hasn’t moved past the second defeat. “I call him regularly and he said: ‘Oh I’m so happy, retired, I’m here with my wife,'” Sulaiman told Sky Sports. “He didn’t hint whatsoever that he was planning on coming back. [But] He told me he was not happy with the decision in the second fight with Usyk.”

Sulaiman added that Fury remains bitter about the judges’ scoring, expressing deep frustration over how the bout was ruled. It’s clear the loss hit hard, and highlights the skill and poise of Oleksandr Usyk, who is now being praised not just for dethroning Fury but for doing so in a way that drew comparisons to a five-time world champion.

Just a few hours ago, @boxingnewsplus shared a post on Instagram with a caption that read, “Wladimir @klitschko describes what makes @usykaa such a special fighter. 👑” In it, the former heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer, Wladimir Klitschko, who made headlines last December after expressing interest in a potential comeback following an eight-year hiatus shared his thoughts on Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning unified heavyweight champion. “You know what you can’t compare athletes with each other because everyone was great in his era,” the 64-5 boxer said. “But I can compare Oleksandr Usyk to a chess player like to current chess player, a current champion, Magnus [Carlsen]. He is an unbelievable strategies, and he’s basically playing chess. That’s what Oleksandr Usyk is doing in the boxing ring.” The praise highlighted Oleksandr Usyk’s cerebral approach to the sport, a key component of what sets him apart from others in the division.

Klitschko then issued a word of caution to Daniel Dubois ahead of their July 19 rematch at Wembley Stadium. “It doesn’t matter how strong or big or heavy his opponent were. He was dominating, mentally and physically through his technical skills,” Klitschko said. And the numbers back that up. In his last two bouts against Tyson Fury, the 23-0 boxer overcame significant weight disadvantages – 39 pounds in the first fight and 55 pounds in the second, yet emerged victorious both times. The same pattern was seen in his 2023 win over Dubois, who was 12 pounds heavier but still came up short.

Further sharing his personal experience, Klitschko revealed, “Oh my goodness, we did spar, believe it or not.” When asked to elaborate, he said, “I know what it feels like to stand in the ring and fight in a sparing session with Oleksandr Usyk. As I said technical fighter, just absolutely a technical fighter, and he has improved much more since we spared, so he’s got even better.” It’s clear that Klitschko fully backs his fellow Ukrainian, but with Dubois coming off a fifth-round TKO win over Anthony Joshua, the question is: can Oleksandr Usyk maintain his dominance against a more matured and confident Dubois?

Dubois unveils bold plan to dethrone Oleksandr Usyk

In a recent conversation with Dev Sahni during Queensberry Promotions’ coverage, Daniel Dubois was asked if Oleksandr Usyk had shown signs of wear following his back-to-back wars with Tyson Fury. Dubois didn’t hold back. “I think he’s a little bit worn,” he said, suggesting that Usyk might be feeling the effects of those brutal fights, not just with Fury, but also from their previous bout and other high-level clashes. In Dubois’ eyes, the accumulation of damage could finally be catching up to the reigning heavyweight king.

Laying out his strategy with confidence, the 22-2 boxer said, “I’ve got to make him old on the night.” He’s aiming to exploit any signs of physical decline and turn the clock against Usyk in the ring. “You can turn a guy old in one night in a fight. That’s what I got to do,” he added. Dismissing outside noise and focused solely on his goal, the 27-year-old made it clear: “Who cares what they say? Just getting all the belts and doing my job and getting victory is all that I care about.” It’s totally clear that Daniel Dubois wants nothing else but legacy. “This will be a spectacular thing. The whole world will stop. Not just England but America, all over the world. This will go out to the whole boxing world and everything else. And yeah, let’s create history.”

With Dubois aiming for the top, Klitschko’s nod to Usyk spices up the anticipation for the upcoming rematch. With Dubois fired up, the big question is: will Oleksandr Usyk’s genius light up the stage at Wembley once more, or will Dubois turn the tables and carve out his own legacy?