The heavyweight division is about to witness one of its most prolific matchups in a long while as this weekend, all four heavyweight titles will be on the line and for the first time in 25 years, we would be getting an undisputed champion. On Saturday, May 18, WBC champion, Tyson Fury will step up against WBO, WBA, and IBF champion, Oleksandr Usyk for the battle of the true king of the heavyweight division.
Both men are two of the best in the division and have, no doubt, earned their current status with a reputation that precedes them.
Tyson (34-0-1) has not defended his title since he defeated Derek Chisora in 2022. The undefeated champion has had the title since he knocked out Deontay Wilder back in 2020 and has successfully defended his title three times. His last fight was against Francis Ngannou last October and even though he won by split decision, many fans and critics are of the opinion that Ngannou was the true winner of the fight.
Still, he is the clear favourite of the fight, having spent the longest time in the heavyweight division between the two, and he has also gone against some of the biggest names and emerged unscathed. This weekend will either add to his undefeated streak or hand him his first professional loss.
Usyk (21-0-0) has been a fast riser since landing in the heavyweight division in 2019. Before then, he was the unified cruiserweight champion, from a professional career that only began in 2013. Since joining the heavyweight division, he has faced some big names, including Anthony Joshua, who he beat twice.
The 37-year-old has constantly proved himself on the ring and has never viewed himself as an underdog, even off the ring. A man of little words, Usyk’s look alone causes people to shudder, and as Fury commented about him on Thursday after he refused to stare at him during their face-off, “he’s a scary-looking dude.”
This is a match where everything is at stake between two of the best men on the planet right now. One person walks away with all four titles, while the other goes home with their first professional loss.
Currently, there is no knowledge of if there is any rematch clause in place that could be triggered to set up a rematch next. But even if there was, it would not stop the fact that a new champion will be crowned this weekend and the heavyweight division will witness some shift going forward.
