Oleksandr Usyk: Heavyweight champion unsure what’s next as Jai Opetaia welcomes prospect of future fight | Boxing news

Oleksandr Usyk has remained tight-lipped about what his future holds, while rising Australian star Jai Opetaia is set to take on the world heavyweight champion.

They spoke with Usyk and promoter Alex Krassyuk Sky Sports at the Ring magazine awards on Saturday night, just under a month after the Ukrainian boxer successfully defended his unique world heavyweight title against Tyson Fury.

Uysk, who has been linked with the February 22 winner of the Daniel Dubois-Joseph Parker IBF heavyweight title fight and has also previously suggested he could return to the cruiserweight level, said he is currently “resting” and will he doesn’t know what will come to him in the end.

Krassyuk then added, “You never know. I have no idea; we have no idea.

“Now it’s time to relax, it’s time to rest, and then after Dubois fights Parker, which I think Parker will win, we just don’t know what’s going to happen next. Now it’s just time to relax.”

Dubois, who claimed the IBF belt Usyk vacated when he beat Anthony Joshua last September, called for an indisputable showdown with Usykawho holds the WBO, WBA and WBC belts.

And another fighter who has now said he is willing to face Usyk in the future is Opetaia, the IBF cruiserweight champion who underlined his rising status by defending his belt at that level with a convincing knockout victory over David Nyika in Australia on Wednesday.

Opetaia, 29, is currently looking to emulate Usyk by becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion.

Asked if he would jump at the chance to face Usyk at heavyweight if the opportunity presented itself, Opetaia said: “Definitely.

“It’s something I would take with both hands, a fight like that. It’s a big opportunity for me.

“With all due respect to Usyk, I think he’s one of the best fighters of our generation, but I’d like to test myself and go over there.”

At cruiserweight, Opetaia said he would next face the unified WBA and WBO world champion Gilberto Ramirez.

I would love that fight, he said.

“Ho’s unification fights so I’m hoping for one of them.”