Indeed, it is now almost assumed that Usyk will travel the globe and fight anyone, anywhere. Recently, this approach has taken him to Saudi Arabia, where everything seems to happen, and where he twice defeated Tyson Fury, his closest rival, by decision. It was there, too, that Usyk beat Anthony Joshua for a second time and one suspects he now feels at home and quite likes it in Riyadh. Aside from the money it guarantees, there is a certain calm and serenity in Saudi Arabia, which allows technicians like Usyk to execute game plans without being distracted from the voices in their corner and the ones in their head.

Elsewhere, where crowds add noise to the event, there are no such luxuries. At Wembley Stadium, for example, which is where Usyk fights on July 19, he can expect both an atmosphere and support for his opponent, Daniel Dubois. All Usyk will receive on the night is the respect and appreciation of those in the crowd who know what he has achieved and can see the brilliance in everything he does inside the ring. But that, for Usyk, will be more than enough; perhaps more than he could hope for. Besides, he has walked this same path before with the likes of Joshua and Chisora, both of whom are Londoners he beat in London. Dubois is just the latest addition to a list in Usyk’s eyes.

That said, it is still strange to see a world heavyweight champion like Usyk, 23-0 (14), have to do so much travelling and accommodating. Even fighting Dubois, the current holder of the IBF belt stripped from Usyk, is somewhat strange. After all, Usyk has already beaten Dubois, in 2023, and back then nobody would have considered a rematch between the pair a future possibility. Why would they? The fight was too one-sided to warrant a repeat viewing, never mind a rematch, and at times Usyk could be seen toying with Dubois ahead of finishing him in round nine. In fact, were it not for some brief controversy in the fifth, when Dubois “dropped” Usyk with a punch ruled illegal, there would be no way of rewriting the story of the first fight.

Luckily, they have more than just a low-blow controversy as a sales tool ahead of fight two. They also have the much-improved form of Daniel Dubois and the just-say-yes mentality of Oleksandr Usyk. Those two things combined take the fight to England as opposed to Poland, the scene of the original, and they make the rematch far more interesting than fight one. Now, you see, the narrative is that Dubois is better and Usyk is only older. Now the expectation is that the rematch will be a lot closer.

That may turn out to be true, but this we know for sure: Usyk has more to lose than Dubois on July 19. For Usyk, the one with most of the belts, nothing is gained from going over old ground – except, that is, taking back his old belt and receiving a big payday – and taming Dubois once again does little for his overall legacy. It is also difficult whenever a fighter rematches an opponent they have already beaten decisively, if only because of the pressure to improve on that first result and do the job better the second time around. Right or wrong, anything less is seen as a disappointment. Either that or an anticlimax.

In the case of this fight, should Usyk stop Dubois before round nine, he will have bettered his result from 2023 and can go home happy. But if, on the other hand, the fight goes longer or is closer than fight one, questions will be asked. Either Usyk will be considered on the slide at 38 or Dubois, 11 years Usyk’s junior, will have proven he has closed the gap on a champion miles ahead of the chasing pack.

Among that pack, by the way, is Tyson Fury, a man Usyk beat twice in 2024. This week Fury was present in Istanbul, Turkey for some IBA (International Boxing Association) event and had at his mercy a gaggle of journalists eager to hang on his every word and fulfil their quota of content deliverables. This meant that when he said he was retired, that was it: he was retired. It meant that when he said he would only come back to fight Oleksandr Usyk, he was actually now semi-retired and would still make the effort for Usyk, just Usyk, the little sausage-rabbit-dosser. It also meant that when he said he would fight Anthony Joshua, the big stiff-body-builder-idiot, he would do that as well, if the money was right, and if the split was in his favour, and if it still allowed him to be the next Bond.

Knowing the man’s history, it was only natural to question the veracity of these statements, as well as the need for so many similar news stories, all of which originated from the same source: boxing’s most unreliable narrator. It was no coincidence, perhaps, that Fury’s return to claims and contradictions arrived two weeks before Usyk’s next fight – his first since beating Fury. It was no surprise, either, to see so many people get taken for a ride, willingly. It was, to them, not lies but news. Don’t think, be first! This Fury knows better than anyone. It’s why, when bored, he often exploits it.

Most of the time that’s fine and occasionally fun. However, hearing Oleksandr Usyk’s name mentioned and demeaned by a man he has twice defeated was quite surreal and a little insulting. If it wasn’t enough to just question the wins, which Fury did, he then made it seem entirely plausible – right even – that they should fight again, despite him being two-nil down. Not only that, this third fight should happen in England, according to Fury, where, he said, there would be a better chance of him getting a fairer shake from the judges. It was said with a straight face, too. This time he wasn’t even joking.

One man with the power to make Fury’s dream become a reality is Turki Alalshikh, the ubiquitous financier, publisher and hand-holder from Saudi Arabia. It is a dream he shares, apparently, and no sooner had Fury publicly stated his one condition for a return than Alalshikh went all Neil Diamond: reaching out, touching hands. “I talked with him [Fury],” said Alalshikh on Wednesday, “and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026. We have a rabbit to hunt.”

The “rabbit” in question is of course Usyk, otherwise known as the heavyweight champion of the world. That title, and role, was once considered the most powerful in all of sport, but that is no longer the case in 2025. Now a great like Usyk can be labelled a “rabbit” and dragged by contenders here, there and everywhere to improve their chances of relieving him of his belts. Now a great like Usyk can be goaded and bought. Now a great like Usyk must entertain pointless rematches because they’ll get it right next time, dammit.

Maybe now Oleksandr Usyk needs to stand up for himself and finally say, “No, you had your chance. Leave me alone.”

If ever he does, he will be speaking for us all.