Oleksandr Usyk's former promoter has pleaded with the heavyweight champion to retire after a grueling victory over kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. Usyk stopped Verhoeven in the 11th round last weekend, but until then he struggled to impose himself and was behind on one judge's scorecard. The 39-year-old Ukrainian plans to fight twice more before retiring, but Alex Krassyuk believes he should hang up his gloves immediately.
Krassyuk's Plea
"It was the roughest fight of his career," Krassyuk told Boxing King Media. "I saw Rico's potential, his energy, how strong mentally he is. He has balls made of stone. It's not about skills, it's about character. I felt it was extremely risky for Usyk, and that's what happened."
Krassyuk, who guided Usyk to become undisputed world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, added: "Usyk is kissed by the gods, the luckiest boxer ever, but this luck is given for hard work. He did not look fresh. He was at the highest weight I have ever seen him. He's not using his footwork, focusing more on power."
A Difficult Decision
"If I was there to advise him, his next performance would be his family," Krassyuk continued. "He has to stop now. It's better to leave one hour before than two minutes after. You can't earn all the money or beat all the fighters. From the bottom of my heart, I wish he would retire in his prime and be remembered as one of the greatest."
Usyk is expected to be ordered to defend his titles against Agit Kabayel next, but Krassyuk insists the champion should prioritize his health and legacy over further fights.
