Roy Jones Jr has attempted to identify Oleksandr Usyk’s motivation for wanting to defend his WBC, IBF and WBA world heavyweight titles against Deontay Wilder.
Usyk unexpectedly called out ‘The Bronze Bomber’ towards the end of last year, with the pair now expected to collide in either April or May according to the Ukrainian’s manager, Egis Klimas.
In an interview with The National last month, Klimas revealed plans to land a multi-fight deal, which would include the Wilder showdown taking place in America, with a US-based promoter.
This, in turn, would allow Usyk to fulfil his goal of fighting two or three more times – which, again, he clarified last month – before hanging up his gloves.
Some feel that Wilder’s best days may be behind him, having lost two of his last three fights and failed to set the world alight in his last outing, a seventh-round stoppage victory over Tyrrell Herndon, in June 2025.
Usyk, meanwhile, comes off a destructive fifth-round finish over Daniel Dubois to become a three-time undisputed champion, across two weight divisions, this past July.
For him to target a clash with former world champion Wilder, then, would suggest that he is now hoping to make his mark on the American boxing scene.
Along with this factor, former multi-weight world champion Jones told Clubhouse Boxing that Usyk likely sees Wilder as a prominent name to enhance his resume, but warned him that the American can land his famous right hand ‘at any time.’
“He knows Deontay’s a great puncher, but he [also] knows Deontay’s starting to fall off a little bit. When you think about the past in boxing, the past was built mostly on black fighters – great, great fighters who were black.
“How many great black fighters did Floyd Mayweather fight in their prime? None. Usyk wants to be a guy that fought everybody that he could, because you want every name you can get on your record.
“And the heavyweight division is different, because George Foreman was the champion at 44 years old. When you can punch, you can land that thing any time.”
With Usyk expected to face Wilder later this year, it remains to be seen who his next fight, or perhaps even next two fights, will be against.
