Usyk declares he has two fights left in him; future of division becomes murky.

Throughout the course of human history we have seen the fall of innumerous dynasties. What always ensues following the collapse of an empire is the territory that was once occupied will experience a warring state period. A disorderly scramble that usually results in years of violence as different factions struggle for control of the landscape.

The Heavyweight division might be destined for a similar chaos and disorder in the near, near future. Oleksandr Usyk (23–0, 14 KO’s), Heavyweight King, announced his plan to retire from the sport of boxing, not without fighting at least two more times. The devourer of divisions announced this just days before fellow heavyweight champion, Daniel Dubois, puts his IBF belt on the line against Joseph Parker.

Usyk has opened the door to a showdown with the winner of that contest; a fight that would unify boxing’s biggest weight class. A feat that Usyk has accomplished twice before (once at Cruiserweight and heavyweight each).

Usyk (38) is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Following back to back victories over Tyson Fury, he has all but cemented himself as the crowned head of this generations’ Heavyweights. His resume does not need anymore padding for hall of fame consideration, but it may need supplementing if he wants to be considered one of the greatest heavyweights all time. Retiring as a two-time Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world would undoubtedly give Usyk all time great consideration — for those who don’t already designate him as such.

A meeting with who ever is holding the IBF title after February 22nd feels inevitable. Usyk, who made easy work of Dubois before, would go in as the heavy favorite against either fighter. The same Beterbiev-Bivol 2 undercard may provide a glimpse into who Usyk could fight following the unifier.

Zhilei Zhang (41), is eager to get a title shot before he retires. He takes on, the not so young, Agit Kabayel (32). The general feeling is the winner of this contest will align themselves with a title shot sooner rather than later. When that shot comes, it is likely that all the belts will belong to one man. It is likely that man will be carrying a stuffed Disney character close to his person on the day of the hypothetical fight.

There, currently, is no clear successor to Usyk’s throne. Many may point to Daniel Dubois (22–2, 21 KO’s) as next in line and while he has impressed in his last three fights, there is no clear indication that he can dominate the division even close to the level that Usyk has. In fairness, there is no one who shows such potential. However, Dubois turns 28 this year and might be entering the prime of his career. An impressive victory over Joseph Parker would encourage confidence that Dubois can carry the torch Usyk will inevitably leave behind.

Dubois, at this moment, is going to be first in line for Usyk’s hardware he will, probably, leave behind. Kabayel needs some more big name victories — due respect to Frank Sanchez and Arslanbek Makhmudov — and a victory over Zheng would provide that.

A name that circulates heavyweight oriented conversations is Moses Itauma (11–0, 9 KO’s). The 20 year old Slovak born, British raised is seen as an answer for this post Usyk existential question. The trouble with Itauma is his age. It’s no knock to his abilities and what he has proven to this point. He has the makeup of someone who can generate some noise in the future, but to this point he is not someone you would consider for one of Usyk's’ two final fights. Anecdotally, what Itauma provides is a possible glimpse into the future and a fighter to follow in the next handful of years.

What Usyk's announcement does is muddle the future of the sport. Forcing us to reconcile the fact of the situation: Usyk’s greatness will likely be unmatched for many years to come. There will never be another Usyk and we should enjoy these final two fights for the swan song that they will be, while also keeping eyes towards the future trying to identify who the next great ruler will be. There will be plenty of land to conquer and even more bright eyed fighters hoping to build that next great dynasty.