Oleksandr Usyk is taking Rico Verhoeven seriously, perhaps because he will face a bigger challenge later.

The elite southpaw will face kickboxing icon Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt in a fight focused on spectacle after years of hard-fought victories on the road. Even though Usyk has strayed from his usual matchmaking, he has now assured fans that they can expect a return to top-level championship boxing later.

Speaking on DAZN’s Inside the Ring, Usyk revealed that after the fight, his goal would be to become the undisputed heavyweight champion for a third time, with his primary goal being either Daniel Dubois or Fabio Wardley.

“For me it’s a real fight. Yes, Rico is not a good boxer, ok, nice fight, no problem, but I want my next fight [against the] Daniel Dubois and Wardley winner.”

Wardley was promoted from interim to full WBO champion when the Ukrainian vacated the belt rather than face him as mandatory challenger. His first defense against Dubois, scheduled for May 9 in Manchester, is perilous.

This is a legacy-based strategy that Usyk has used in the past, dropping the IBF belt to allow Dubois’ elevation, defending against Anthony Joshua, and then facing him to regain the belt. If “DDD” defeats Wardley, he could expect a trilogy fight, but fan interest may wane given how the first two fights went.

It all depends on whether Usyk retains his three titles. Although the fight for the WBC belt with Verhoeven is highly controversial, the IBF and WBA leagues have not been mentioned yet. The sanctioning authorities may well decide to declare a vacancy in their belts.

Fighters like Raymond Muratalla, Abdullah Mason, William Zepeda and Floyd Schofield represent the direction many expected from Davis, making the return to Cruz a remarkable step, even if the first fight remains the one fans remember.

The fight is being discussed in the 140-pound weight class. Their first meeting took place at lightweight in December 2021 and ended in a unanimous decision for Davis after twelve rounds.

Cruz’s pressure forced Davis (30-1, 28 KO) in a cautious fight rather than the knockout victories that marked much of his career. Davis injured his left hand early in the fight and relied heavily on movement, defense and counters with his right hand while Cruz continued to press forward and raise the volume of his throws.

The judges scored the fight 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 for Davis. Cruz’s pressure kept the contest close and led to a physical twelve-round battle that looked different than many of Davis’ other victories.

Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KO) continued to build his record after this fight, and his victories put him near the top of the division. His aggressive style and willingness to constantly push forward made it the first fight that fans still bring up when discussing Davis’ toughest fights.

Davis most recently fought to a twelve-round draw against Lamont Roach in March 2025 and has been inactive since that fight. A second fight with Cruz would mark a return to a fight that continues to attract attention whenever we analyze Davis’ career.

A novel element is the weight class. Discussions about a rematch point to a fight at 140 pounds, rather than the lightweight limit where they first met.

Keyshawn Davis has been linked to a move up to welterweight in recent weeks, and it appears “The Businessman” will be making the jump soon, with the “championship fight” date reportedly set at 147 pounds.

Davis was stripped of his WBO lightweight title when he missed weight last June for his scheduled first defense against Edwin De Los Santos. He then moved up to super lightweight and knocked out Jamaine Ortiz in the final round of their fight on the Teofimo Lopez vs. card. Shakur Stevenson.

In the wake of that victory, the Norfolk-born superstar called for a fight against current WBO welterweight world champion Devin Haney, who originally agreed to the fight before negotiations stalled.

As a result, it looked like Davis might stay at 140 pounds, but in… interview for FightHubThe 27-year-old revealed that he has a date for a “championship fight” in preparation for his 147-pound debut.

“I definitely got a response [from the people I called out] and I definitely have a date too. I’m telling you all this now and I’ll definitely be back sooner than you all think. That’s why you saw me playing politics in the gym.

“It’s political, but I’m really staying pointed. Don’t fuck up, I’m staying astute. There’s something coming.”

“I think I’m moving up [to 147lbs]. Yes, [for a championship fight]”

Haney seemed to be close to securing a unification fight with WBA champion Rolando Romero Lewis Crocker (IBF) postponed his match with Liam Paro due to injuryand Ryan Garcia (WBC) is looking elsewhere. It’s unclear where Davis fits.