Usyk to return from injury October 12th
Fight fans have been anxious to find out when undefeated Cruiserweight World Champion, Oleksandr Usyk, could make his anticipated heavyweight debut coming back from an injury? Well, we now know the date, even if we still await whom Usyk will fight?
Matchroom Boxing, who promotes the former Ukrainian Olympic Gold Medalist and holder the Undisputed Cruiserweight titles, made the announcement Thursday afternoon that Usyk will be returning in the United States on October 12th:
He's coming… ?
CONFIRMED: @usykaa makes his highly-anticipated Heavyweight debut at the @WintrustArena Chicago, October 12! ?? @DAZN_USA pic.twitter.com/yhf6jCJDme
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 15, 2019
Matchroom did not reveal, yet, whom Usyk’s opponent will be, and therefore it’s safe to assume that it will not be his original opponent from May, Carlos Takam.
Usyk suffered a bicep injury in training three weeks before the fight with Takam was to have taken place on May 25th. He had surgery and has been rehabbing and training this summer.
Usyk (16-0 12 KOs) was a force in the Cruiserweight division over the last 18 months, culminating with a commanding win over Murat Gassiev last July to become the Undisputed World Champion and the winner of the inaugural World Boxing Super Series tournament on Gassiev’s Moscow turf.
Usyk left the division after November in Manchester, where he KO’d Tony Bellew in the eighth round of their clash – a seventh straight World Title defense for the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist.
There is so much buzz about Usyk officially moving up to the Heavyweight division that the WBO (almost comically) has named him their #1 contender without Usyk having ever fought a bout at that weight.
There is some belief that the WBO would move to strip champion Andy Ruiz or Anthony Joshua, if he wins their rematch, if neither of them will fight Usyk in the first part of next year.
The October heavyweight debut of Usyk will be held at the Wintrust Arena in the northern Chicago suburb of Rosemont and will be televised by DAZN streaming service
A veteran broadcaster of over 25 years, T.J. has been a fight fan longer than that! He’s the host of the “Big Fight Weekend” podcast and will go “toe to toe” with anyone who thinks that Marvin Hagler beat Sugar Ray Leonard or that Tyson, Lennox Lewis or Deontay Wilder could have beaten Ali!