Fresh off his historic victory over Tyson Fury to become the unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk is set to embark on a surprising new venture. The Ukrainian boxing hero will be starring alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in an upcoming blockbuster movie, “The Smashing Machine,” where he will play an MMA star.
The newly crowned champion will act alongside Hollywood actress Emily Blunt and MMA star Ryan Bader, portraying fellow Ukrainian fighter Igor Vovchanchyn. Set for release in 2025, the film marks a significant departure from Usyk’s usual image and follows in the footsteps of Conor McGregor, who also ventured into acting this year.
This unexpected turn comes as Usyk enjoys the glory of his recent victory over Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia, a win that made him the first unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. However, his reign with all four belts may be short-lived as he is set to be stripped of the IBF title.
The IBF plans to strip Usyk of his title due to his decision to rest following a grueling nine-month training camp, instead of defending it against the mandatory challenger, Filip Hrgovic. Hrgovic is scheduled to fight Daniel Dubois in Riyadh on June 1.
Despite this setback, Usyk seems untroubled, having expressed his desire for a break after intense preparations for his landmark fight on May 18. “I don’t want to think about boxing right now,” Usyk confessed. “My camp started in September 2023, and I’ve been working for nine months. I missed New Year’s, my sons’ birthdays, my daughter’s birthday, and family holidays. Now I’m happy and want to go home.”
As for Tyson Fury, he shares a similar sentiment regarding his future plans. After losing to Usyk, Fury initially expressed dissatisfaction with the decision but later emphasized his desire to rest before considering a rematch. “I believe I won that fight,” Fury said. “But I’m not going to sit here and cry about it. We’ll see each other again in October. For now, I’m going to spend time with my family and regroup.”
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, confirmed the likelihood of a rematch, stating, “There’s a rematch clause. If Tyson wants it, and he said he does, then it will happen. But I’ve told him to take a break, enjoy time with his family, and then we’ll talk about the future.”
Fury echoed this advice, adding, “I’m going to go home, eat some food, drink some beer, spend time with my family, and then we’ll discuss what’s next.”
As both Usyk and Fury look ahead to potential rematches and new ventures, the boxing world eagerly anticipates their next moves.
