…Promoter Frank Warren is open to Oleksandr Usyk fighting the winner of Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois; Usyk meets kickboxing superstar Rico Verhoeven in May, the unified heavyweight champion then wants to box the Wardley-Dubois winner before concluding a trilogy with Tyson Fury
Promoter Frank Warren intends to open negotiations for Oleksandr Usyk to fight the winner of Fabio Wardley’s world title clash with Daniel Dubois.
Usyk, the unified heavyweight world champion, with wins over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has proved himself the best in the division. Although he is now 39 years old, Usyk still plans on fighting three more times.
Next the Ukrainian will box Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxing superstar, on May 23. After that Usyk wants to fight the Wardley-Dubois winner and then have a trilogy bout with his great rival Tyson Fury.
For Usyk, who also holds the WBA and IBF championships, to retain his WBC title, he would have to defend against WBC Interim belt-holder Agit Kabayel.
Wardley and Dubois fight for the WBO heavyweight world championship on May 9 in Manchester and their promoter Frank Warren is open for the winner to box Usyk in a unification.
“We’re up for that,” Warren told Sky Sports. “There’s a lot of frustration because Fabio wanted that [Usyk fight before]. But the fact that Oleksandr has come out and said he wants the winner of the two of them, it’s very encouraging. And certainly for the two guys, it gives them a lot of incentive.
“We’ve got a great relationship with him and if we can do some business we’ll certainly do it.”
“If he comes through the fight [against Wardley or Dubois], that he then wants to fight Tyson, I love that fight. The first two fights were close, very exciting fights, really exciting fights, I’d watch that all day long. And Tyson wants that fight. He’s told me on numerous occasions he’d love that fight,” Warren said.
For Fury fighting Usyk this year is potentially more likely than boxing Anthony Joshua.
“I don’t know where AJ is, obviously we’ve spoken a lot about the terrible tragedy and the loss of his good friends, best friends and team members,” Warren reflected.
“People have got to remember about the injuries that he’s suffered. He’s suffered physical injures but he’s also suffered mental injuries in that fight. Maybe boxing, the fact of fighting will get him in a better place, I don’t know.
“I don’t see him fighting this year, or this year against Tyson. I may be wrong and I hope I am wrong but I don’t believe he will.”
The division, though, will remain active with Usyk’s three-fight plan likely to come to fruition.
“This heavyweight division, as I keep saying, it’s alight,” Warren added. “They’re great fights and we’re front and centre in it. We are making the fights.”
Sky Sports
