Recently, Oleksandr Usyk’s (22-0, 14 KO) former coach James Ali Bashir spoke to the media about the possibility of Usyk dropping back down to cruiserweight. Usyk had mentioned that after defeating Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) again on December 21st, he was considering a move back down to cruiserweight.
In response, James Ali Bashir said, “Usyk complained about having to eat too much to maintain his weight in the heavyweight division. You can’t blame Usyk for that. He wants to ensure his health and safety. I coached Usyk for three years, and we trained in Kyiv all the time. I can tell you that Usyk never liked eating too much. He didn’t want to eat a lot of food just to maintain his weight in the heavyweight division. That’s why Usyk is saying that after beating Tyson Fury, he will return to cruiserweight. Usyk is thinking about his health.”
There are reports that Usyk is considering relinquishing his WBC/WBA Super titles, retaining only the WBO heavyweight title. Usyk believes that since he only fights 1-2 times a year, he doesn’t want to hold up other fighters’ careers and thinks allowing more people opportunities to fight for the title will help the sport flourish.
Ex-Trainer Bashir on Usyk’s Potential Drop to Cruiserweight. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/boxing-zone/21215.html
