Oleksandr Usyk may have escaped unscathed with his titles against Rico Verhoeven, but WBC interim heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel believes Rico’s age and awkward style have exposed issues that could impact their expected clash later this year.

Kabayel, seen as the likely next challenger to Usyk’s WBC, WBA and IBF belts, said the 39-year-old champion had difficulty preparing for the Verhoeven fight because there was almost no boxing material available to study. The undefeated German heavyweight said uncertainty played a major role in Usyk’s complex evening in Egypt.

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Last updated: 27/05/2026 at 11:10

Canelo Alvarez hopes to return to competition in September and reclaim his world titles, and if he can do that, he’ll have another 168-pound titleholder waiting in the wings for a unification showdown.

When Alvarez lost the undisputed crown to Terence Crawford, the belts soon became fragmented following the American’s retirement. Since then, Jaime Munguia dethroned Armando Resendiz for the WBA belt, Osleys Iglesias stopped Pavel Silyagin for the IBF crown, and Christian Mbilli, whom Canelo will fight next, has been elevated to full champion.

On Saturday, Canelo’s last titles to date were won by, among others: Hamzah Sheeraz easily defeated Alem Begić to claim the vacant WBO super middleweight world title.

I’m talking to iFL TelevisionSheeraz promoter Frank Warren praised the efforts of both his fighter and his team at Queensberry Promotions.

“A lot of work has gone into it [Sheeraz] and I must tell you that we worked very strenuous to prepare for this world title match, very strenuous. There was a lot of lobbying and this was the best option you could get to win the world title – that’s what I call great matchmaking and properly managing someone’s career.

“I congratulate him, he did great and we will see what the next large fight will be.”

Warren then admitted Canelo would be the preferred next option for the Slough-born champion if he can defeat Mbilli in less than four months.

“I would think so [Canelo is next on Sheeraz’s radar]but Canelo has to win. We’ll see what Canelo has left in the tank. This will be compelling.”

Sheeraz has also been linked with joining Canelo-Mbilli, where he could accept another unification fight against Canelo’s stablemate and current WBA champion Munguia.

“You always learn something from everything. So it was a good experience and I really enjoyed it,” Canelo told InsideRingShow when asked if he looked back on the Crawford fight fondly despite the loss.

“Yes [he watched the fight back]. Many things.

“Sometimes your body doesn’t react the way you want, but I know what mistakes I made. And I can adjust everything to make everything perfect for the next moment. You know, we just think about it, right? If we can get that fight back, it’ll be amazing.”

Canelo also admitted that he approached the fight in the wrong way stylistically.

“I see a lot of mistakes that I made. I tried to be faster because of his style and everything. Now I just have to do my job and that’s it,” Canelo said of his performance against Crawford.

The comments are compelling because many fans viewed Crawford’s defeat differently. Crawford’s striking controlled much of the fight, disrupted Canelo’s positioning and gradually took over as the pace dropped in the second half. Canelo continued to land single sturdy shots, but struggled to maintain consistent pressure after the middle rounds.

This raises questions about the fight against Mbilla.

Mbilli is a completely different problem than Crawford. Crawford attacks opponents and controls them technically. Mbilli destroys players physically with pressure, volume and constant exchanges. He fights at a pace that forces his opponents into exhausting rounds, and this style has already led many fans to compare the fight to Canelo’s first two fights with Gennady Golovkin.

If Canelo defeats Mbilli in an compelling fight, demand for a rematch will likely be immediate due to the style of action displayed by both fighters. However, if Mbilli overwhelms him physically, talk of a rematch with Crawford could quickly fade away. A painful loss to a younger pressing fighter would generate a different discussion about Canelo’s career than a loss in a tactical fight to Crawford.

Canelo admitted he was frustrated that he didn’t get another chance to fight Crawford, but said he remained patient.

“Yes, it’s frustrating, but as I always say, when you can’t control the situation, you can’t do anything,” Canelo said of his inability to control whether a rematch with Crawford would ever happen.

“So I’m going to stay peaceful, do my job and continue to fight my fights in my career. If the fight can happen again, it will be different.”

Canelo talks about his fight with Bud Crawford and wants a rematch!!

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