Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, won't fight Martin Bakole. This decision comes despite Bakole's claim that he's "the only man who can beat him."
Usyk has done something no other boxer has. He's become the undisputed champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions in the four-belt era. He's smaller than most heavyweights, but that hasn't stopped him from reaching the top.
The Ukrainian fighter beat Tyson Fury in May 2023 to add the WBC belt to his collection. He then defended his titles against Fury in December, winning on points after 12 rounds. Before that, he took the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and defended them in a rematch the following year.
Martin Bakole thinks he can beat Usyk. He said:
"Yes [I believe I'm the only man who can do it.] I will beat him easy, I will knock him out. I'm saying this not only because I spar him but I know how to stop southpaws. I learnt all my life, boxing my bother who's southpaw, how to stop southpaws. All his movement, all that, I will stop that, I will knock him out."
But Usyk's promoter, Alex Krassyuk, told Boxing King Media that the fight won't happen. He said:
"Please don't forget Martin Bakole, he is a real threat to anyone. No one wants to fight him. After Usyk retires Martin Bakole will be the king of the division. I think Oleksandr would not fight Martin Bakole for just one reason, Martin Bakole has no belt. Oleksandr would probably have the motivation when he comes back to boxing, he has to fight for something extraordinary, which is probably undisputed again."
Usyk could retire now with a rich legacy. But he wants to keep fighting. He's looking for fights that offer something special, like another chance to unify titles.
On February 22, Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker will fight for the IBF world title. The winner could be Usyk's next opponent. Bakole plans to fight in May, hoping to become a mandatory challenger for a belt. If he wins, he might have more bargaining power to get the Usyk fight he wants.
