Team Usyk discussed the possibility of two potential opponents for Oleksandr’s next fight
The WBO world heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley could secure an undisputed showdown with unified titlist Oleksandr Usyk, but only after he “proves himself at the highest level”.
The Ipswich FC fan faces former IBF world champion Daniel Dubois this Saturday night, May 9, in Manchester in his maiden title defence.31-year-old Wardley first put himself in the frame to challenge Ukrainian Usyk when he defeated Joseph Parker last year to secure the WBO Interim title.
Usyk though vacated the full WBO championship, still retaining the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO belts, to pursue other options. Next month the unbeaten Ukrainian will box Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxing superstar, in Giza.
Wardley was upgraded to WBO world champion and will defend his honours for the first time this weekend against his fellow Brit.
But despite declining to defend to his mandatory, Usyk is still open to a future fight with the hard-hitting Briton.
Sergey Lapin, the chief executive of Usyk’s promotional company Ready To Fight, told Sky Sports: “If Fabio Wardley proves himself at the highest level, he can definitely become part of that conversation.”
Defeating Dubois, the former IBF titlist who knocked out Anthony Joshua, could be an ideal way for Wardley to set up an Usyk fight.
“Becoming a three-time undisputed heavyweight champion would be something historic, and Oleksandr is always motivated by the biggest challenges,” Lapin noted.
“At the same time, we don’t build our plans around one name or one outcome. There are several strong contenders in the division, and we are focused on the biggest and most meaningful fights available.”
As well as a history-making unification with the WBO beltholder, for his next fight Usyk could also consider meeting German Agit Kabayel, the increasingly popular unbeaten heavyweight who is the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship as the Interim champ.
“If it’s Fabio Wardley, it could potentially be for undisputed. If it’s Agit Kabayel, it would more likely be a title defence,” Lapin said.
“But we don’t like to look too far ahead. Right now, we have a fight with Rico Verhoeven, and all our focus is on that.”
Usyk is undefeated as a professional. He’s already been an undisputed champion at cruiserweight and become undisputed twice at heavyweight. His record of achievement over amateur and pro is virtually unrivalled in the current era.
“Oleksandr has already achieved what very few fighters in history have done, so now it’s not about chasing titles for the sake of it,” Lapin explained.
“For many years Oleksandr accepted fights based mainly on sporting value, often without focusing on the business side. He was building his legacy.
“Now it’s different. At this stage, both sporting and business factors matter.”
Lapin added: “He also wants to leave a lasting impact on the sport and help the next generation of fighters grow through projects like Ready To Fight.
“What drives him is the pursuit of greatness in a broader sense – taking on the biggest challenges available, staying at the highest level and continuing to test himself against top competition.”
