There is nothing wrong with a good rematch.
In fact, some of the greatest stories in boxing history have been built on fighters running it back. Rivalries are part of what makes the sport special. Fans wanted Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier to fight again. They wanted Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera to settle their differences more than once. More recently, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder gave us a trilogy that delivered unforgettable moments.
But sometimes it feels like boxing rematches have become the default setting rather than something that has to be earned.
With Rico Verhoeven openly calling for another fight against Oleksandr Usyk after their first encounter, the debate has surfaced once again. Does every close fight really need a sequel, or is boxing becoming too obsessed with looking backwards instead of forwards?
Boxing Rematches Can Create Legendary Rivalries
Nobody is arguing that boxing rematches should disappear.
Some fights deserve another chapter. Some demand it.
If a contest is controversial, extremely close or ends with unfinished business, fans naturally want to see it again. Boxing has produced countless legendary rivalries through rematches.
I’ve talked before about some of the sport’s greatest rivalries:
Those second and third fights helped define careers and often produced even better contests than the originals.
The problem is not boxing rematches themselves.
The problem is when rematches become automatic.
Automatic Rematches Are Becoming Too Common
These days, almost every major fight seems to come with a built-in rematch clause.
Sometimes that makes sense. Sometimes it feels unnecessary.
Anthony Joshua immediately got another shot after losing to Andy Ruiz Jr. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk fought twice despite plenty of other heavyweights waiting in line. Even outside heavyweight boxing, rematches are often announced before the dust has settled on the first fight.
In many cases, promoters understandably prefer familiarity.
A rematch is easier to market. Fans know the fighters. Broadcasters know what they are buying. There is less risk involved.
But boxing has always thrived on fresh match-ups and new challenges.
Too many boxing rematches can leave divisions standing still.
Rising Contenders Often Pay the Price
Perhaps the biggest problem with boxing’s love affair with rematches is the effect it has on everybody else.
Mandatory challengers are forced to wait.
Young prospects see opportunities delayed.
Entire divisions can become frozen while two fighters revisit the same story.
The heavyweight division has suffered from this before. While champions and former champions settle unfinished business, contenders spend months waiting for their chance.
That can be incredibly frustrating.
After all, boxing should be about climbing the ladder and earning opportunities, not waiting patiently while the same names continue to fight each other.
Rico Verhoeven vs Oleksandr Usyk Highlights The Debate
Personally, I understand why Rico Verhoeven wants another crack at Oleksandr Usyk.
When the crossover fight was first announced, I thought Usyk was simply chasing money because there weren’t many obvious names left for him to face. I expected it to be another novelty event.
Instead, the fight surprised me.
Whether it was simply a bad night for Usyk or whether Verhoeven genuinely found something nobody else had, it felt like we saw the Ukrainian look vulnerable in a way we hadn’t before.
That is why I can completely understand why Verhoeven wants the rematch.
I can also understand why fans want to see it.
But the wider question remains.
Should boxing automatically give us another chapter simply because the first fight was competitive?
Or should new challengers be allowed to move to the front of the queue?
Boxing Sometimes Moves Too Quickly Towards Sequels
I’ve previously written about whether boxing is too quick to rush into rematches:
And I still think there is a balance to be found.
Not every fight needs a trilogy.
Not every controversial decision requires an immediate sequel.
Sometimes the best thing for the sport is to let fighters move on and create new stories.
After all, nobody knew how good Fury versus Wilder would become until it happened for the first time. Nobody knew how much excitement Andy Ruiz Jr would bring when he shocked Anthony Joshua.
Boxing is at its best when the unexpected happens.
If the sport becomes too dependent on boxing rematches, eventually it risks recycling old ideas while preventing new stars and rivalries from emerging.
Final Thoughts
Boxing rematches absolutely have their place.
Some of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen were built on them.
But there is a danger that boxing has become too comfortable revisiting familiar stories instead of creating new ones.
Sometimes unfinished business deserves another chapter.
Sometimes the best thing boxing can do is turn the page.
Join The Conversation
Do you think boxing has become too reliant on rematches, or are rivalries and sequels part of what makes the sport great?
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