Oleksandr Usyk and his camp insist it is too early to talk about a rematch with Daniel Dubois after his win over Tyson Fury.
Usyk beat Fury for the second time in 2024 on points in Riyadh to retain his WBO, WBA and WBC titles, this time via a unanimous points decision from the judges.
Fellow heavyweight Dubois stormed the ring in the immediate aftermath of the bout seeking “revenge” on what he described as a “robbery” following Usyk’s win over the Englishman in Poland in 2023.
But speaking after the victory, Usyk refused to be drawn on a potential rematch with Dubois, who beat Anthony Joshua in September, or Fury.
“My next step. I’m going to rest,” Usyk said. “Not think about boxing, Dubois, Tyson Fury. Just rest. Just play with my children.”
The Ukrainian’s promoter Alex Krassyuk also noted: “Dubois has to fight Joseph Parker and this is a very tough fight for him.
“It’s too early to mention Daniel’s name in regards to Usyk.”
Usyk spoke of his respect for opponent Fury after another intense build-up ahead of their bout.
“He’s my best friend,” Usyk joked. But he added with sincerity: “I very much respect this guy because I think he’s very tough, my opponent. Tyson Fury makes me strong.
“Tyson Fury is a great opponent, big and tough. He’s a good man. Tyson does a lot of talk. It’s just [for] show. I respect him very much. Twenty-four rounds, listen now it’s already history.”
Usyk continues to shine a light for Ukraine as they continue to defend their country against Russia following their invasion.
“This win is for my mama and all the Ukrainian mums,” he said. “I’m just happy that I won, that’s it.
“I like to motivate people, to give them the incentive to do something. For me this is my motivation.”
