Boxing
Usyk U-Turn reduces the chances of Kabayel vs Itauma for the WBC title in Germany
Oleksandr Usyk may be the only person standing between Moses Itauma and the fastest route to a shot at the WBC heavyweight title.
The undefeated British prospect could find himself on the verge of being a championship contender this summer – but only if the division’s current ruler decides not to fight the mandatory challenger next.
Usyk has already planned for the end of his career, outlining a three-fight retirement plan that will start with Rico Verhoeven in Egypt and then potentially move on to the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois and a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury.
“Rico is first. Second, Wardley or Dubois wins. Third fight is my friend ‘Greedy Belly’ Tyson Fury,” Usyk said on his Ready to Fight app, discussing the schedule he hopes to follow.
This roadmap leaves little room for WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel, even though the German holds the mandatory position.
The WBC position remains unchanged
The sanctioning body reiterated its position in its March 2026 “Status by Division” update, confirming that Usyk is cleared to fight kickboxer Verhoeven on May 23 in Giza, Egypt.
“Champion Oleksander Usyk has been granted a voluntary defense. Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. The winner must then fight mandatory interim champion Agit Kabayel.”
The clarification strengthened the WBC’s stance following criticism of the crossover fight. However, the champion’s situation remains fluid.
Kabayel interrogates Usyk
Kabayel has already expressed his frustration with the uncertainty surrounding his long-awaited title shot.
In an interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de, the German suggested that Usyk’s priorities may have moved away from heritage.
“I always had great respect for Usyk’s sporting achievements and said: ‘Hey, he’s not afraid of any challenges and he keeps his words.’ But the only thing he cares about is money; everything else is uninteresting to him. Now I noticed it again, extremely clearly,” Kabayel said.
The undefeated fighter strengthened his position with constant season stoppages for Riyad Frank Sanchez and Arslanbek Makhmudov, before adding knockout victories over Zhilei Zhang and Damian Knyba.
These performances definitely pushed Kabayel into the obligatory interim champion conversation, and he was irritated when he heard Usyk’s initial three-man wish list.
“How can he not name his number one ranked opponent, his mandatory challenger? It’s just melancholy that he would rather fight Dubois or Fury for the third time, even though he has already beaten them both twice,” Kabayel added.
“I have a large question mark in my head right now.”
This will take advantage of the opportunity
Usyk has since softened his previous stance on the WBC injunction.
“Maybe I will fight Kabayel – maybe I won’t fight Tyson Fury for the third time and I fight Kabayel instead,” the Ukrainian said when asked about the situation.
“I’m just giving you my plan, but it’s not written in stone. Maybe it’s possible that I’m fighting Agit. He’s a great fighter and very astute.”
If Usyk ultimately chooses a different path after the Verhoeven fight, Kabayel could suddenly be elevated to full champion status.
This scenario would immediately put Moses Itauma in the conversation as the No. 3 starting defenseman. Itauma recently demolished Jermain Franklin in Manchester to cement his place as the future of the division.
Itauma is heavily shunned, but Kabayel is known to be ready to tackle any major challenges in this weight class.
If Usyk hadn’t been blocking the path, promoter Frank Warren would almost certainly have turned his attention to Kabayel defending his interim title against an emerging British heavyweight, potentially this summer in Germany.
Such a fight would push Itauma straight into a WBC title fight much sooner than expected. With Kabayel expected to inherit the WBC belt if a fight with Usyk slips away, Warren may still consider the fight a possibility in the coming months.
Framed areas
Another name trying to get into the equation is Lawrence Okolie.
The former cruiserweight and bridge champion currently holds the WBC silver heavyweight title and has repeatedly called for a fight with Kabayel.
Earlier this year, Okolie posted a photo on social media of the German challenger sitting on a chicken and labeled him a “self-proclaimed boogeyman.”
Okolie will face Tony Yoka in Paris on April 25 in a scheduled defense of his silver title, but he still positions himself as a potential opponent should Kabayel’s situation change after the Egyptian fight.
For now, the championship order is clear. Kabayel is the mandatory challenger.
However, if Usyk decides not to pursue this path after the Verhoeven fight, the obstacle will disappear and Moses Itauma, aka Okolie, could suddenly find himself one fight away from the WBC heavyweight title.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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LIVE COVERAGE
World Boxing News provides live results and updates from George Liddard’s European middleweight title clash with Dario Morello at the Copper Box Arena in London.
The undefeated Liddard faces the biggest test of his career against experienced Italian Morello, with the vacant European middleweight championship on the line.
Three other vacant titles will be decided on the card as Jimmy Sains, Emmanuel Buttigieg and Tiah Mai Ayton attempt to take the next step in their careers.
Live Scorecard –George Liddard vs. Dario Morello
Live Results
Times are local BST
19:45
Tiah Mai Ayton won the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title in a solid display against Ellie Hellewell. The Hellewell corner called off the fight after six completed rounds as Ayton made it seven straight wins as a pro and pushed towards world honors.
18:52
Connor Mitchell gets four useful rounds under his belt with a 39-37 points victory over Caine Singh.
Singh made him work for it, but the all-action Mitchell did enough to get his hand raised.
18:16
Louie Ward moved to 3-0 with a dominant performance, stopping Jon Martinez in the third round.
Ward was in control throughout before forcing the finish to secure another impressive victory.
17:42
Ioan Croft dropped Tomas Reynoso early on before seeing out a sixth round victory. The referee waved the fight off with just over a minute left of the round.
17:10
Harley Burrows opened the show with a first round stoppage of Carlos Ronner. Burrows pinned Ronner on the ropes and waded in until the referee halted the contest.
TV Coverage and Remaining Bouts
United Kingdom: DAZN
- George Liddard vs. Dario Morello – Vacant European Middleweight Title (12)
- Jimmy Sains vs. Tom Cowling – Vacant Commonwealth Middleweight Title (12)
- Emmanuel Buttigieg vs. P A Gordon – Vacant English Middleweight Title (10)
Preview
Liddard enters his first European title fight with a perfect 14-0 record as the 24-year-old attempts to continue his rapid rise through the middleweight division.
Morello brings considerably more experience at 26-1 and arrives in London undefeated since 2019.
The event takes place at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promoting the card.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
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