Boxers are taught never to overlook an opponent, but with Oleksandr Usyk widely expected to dispatch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on Saturday, focus has inevitably turned to what comes next for the Ukrainian.
Usyk’s voluntary defence against the Dutch kickboxing heavyweight champion at the foot of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt has split opinion in the boxing world over its credibility, but there is consensus over one thing: the predicted outcome.
Barring one of the greatest upsets in boxing history, come Saturday night Usyk’s next steps look set in stone, provided the reigning WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion has no intention of relinquishing his titles.
Kabayel a Mandatory Challenger
A mandatory defence against Agit Kabayel has been ordered by the WBC. Failure to fight the unbeaten German would result in Usyk being stripped of his title.
Come through that, and another defence – this time of his WBA belt – would follow, with Russian Murat Gassiev, whom Usyk defeated at cruiserweight in 2018, currently ranked as the number one contender.
“Usyk has got all these mandatories lined up now,” promoter Eddie Hearn explained.
Hearn Assesses Kabayel’s Threat
“Many feel Agit Kabayel is a very dangerous fight. I’m not so sure, but I do think he has the attributes to be very competitive against Usyk. That’s a big stadium fight in Germany.
“You’ve got Richard Torrez against Frank Sanchez in a final eliminator on Saturday. That’s going to be another mandatory that’s going to be forced upon him.”
Joshua, Fury, and Itauma in the Mix
Hearn also suggested that British heavyweights Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois – all of whom have lost twice to Usyk – would welcome another shot at the division’s king, as would emerging star Moses Itauma, but added that the Ukrainian would be the sole arbiter of his future.
“Dare I say, you’ve got three British heavyweights that he’s beaten twice. I’m sure all of them, even AJ, would love another crack at the whip,” Hearn added.
“Then you’ve got Moses [Itauma] coming through. He might be mandatory at some point.
“One thing Usyk has shown is he’ll do what he wants to do, and he’ll do what he wants to do with the belts as well.
“I think he’s one of those guys, one of the few people, who has the legacy to not worry about the belts.”
Whatever comes next for Usyk, irrespective of how the Verhoeven fight unfolds, it certainly shouldn’t be retirement as far as Hearn is concerned.
“We’ve got a tendency in this sport to call time on people’